title: Effectiveness of Vernonia scorpioides ethanolic extract against skin inflammatory processes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Vernonia scorpioides (Asteraceae) is a native Brazilian medicinal plant that is commonly used to treat skin disorders. Considering the traditional use of Vernonia scorpioides and the lack of information about its pharmacological properties, we investigated the topical anti-inflammatory effect of the ethanolic extract of Vernonia scorpioides (EEVS) on acute and chronic cutaneous inflammation models in mouse.
  
  
  METHODS
  The topical anti-inflammatory effect of EEVS was evaluated against acute models (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TPA)- and arachidonic acid (AA)-induced mouse ear oedema) and chronic models (multiple applications of croton oil).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The EEVS caused a dose-related inhibition of oedema in both the TPA- and AA-induced acute models (DI(50)=0.24 and 0.68 mg/ear with an inhibition of 80 ± 5% and 65 ± 5%, respectively, for 1mg/ear). In addition, the TPA-induced increase in myeloperoxidase activity (MPO) in the ear was reduced (77 ± 8%) by the topical application of EEVS. In the chronic model, the EEVS reduced all parameters evaluated: oedema formation (31 ± 2%), epidermal hyperproliferation (histology) and MPO (25 ± 10%). However, the topical treatment of EEVS had no effect on N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase activity. The EEVS effectively interfered in the ear oedema on the delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction induced by oxazolone. The topical treatment with EEVS performed on both phases or only on the elicitation phase caused the inhibition of the ear oedema-induced by oxazolone in 42.9% and 63.4%, respectively, when compared to control animals (sensitized and challenged).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that EEVS is effective as a topical anti-inflammatory agent in acute and chronic inflammatory processes and that its action is markedly influenced by the inhibition of neutrophil migration into inflamed tissue as well as by epidermal hyperproliferation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal do Paraná, PO Box 19031, CEP 81530-900 Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Laryssa K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Rauh
authors.forename: Cíntia D S
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Horinouchi
authors.forename: Alliete M V
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Loddi
authors.forename: Evelise F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Pietrovski
authors.forename: Rosalina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Neris
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Souza-Fonseca-Guimarães
authors.forename: Dorly F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Buchi
authors.forename: Maique W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Biavatti
authors.forename: Michel F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Otuki
authors.forename: Daniela A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Cabrini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000633:toxicity; D003872:Dermatitis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000737:chemistry; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000633:toxicity; D032264:Veronica / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D000431:Ethanol; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate