title: Attenuation of adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats by phonophoresis with an aqueous gel of the Amazonian plant Elaeoluma nuda (Sapotaceae).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Various species of the genus Pouteria (Elaeoluma) are used by the native population of Brazil because of, among other factors, their anti-inflammatory properties. The anti-inflammatory properties of the extract of the Amazonian plant Elaeoluma nuda were recently identified in prospective pharmacological studies.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to assess the anti-inflammatory effect of phonophoresis with aqueous gel extract of E. nuda in rat adjuvant-induced arthritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Arthritis was induced in Lewis rats with an adjuvant. Phonophoresis with E. nuda gel was then administered daily and the results compared with those obtained with phonophoresis of diclofenac diethylammonium gel and ultrasound therapy without phonophoresis. Arthritis in the different groups was evaluated by plethysmometry. Proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1α were quantified by cytometric bead array (CBA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The effect of phonophoresis of aqueous gel with E. nuda extract on arthritis in rats' paws (a 33% reduction compared with the controls) was the same as that produced by phonophoresis with diclofenac diethylammonium. Ultrasound therapy without phonophoresis produced no significant effect on the 21st day of therapy. There was a significant reduction in TNF-α and IL-1α levels in the group treated with phonophoresis with E. nuda gel (p=0.0042; p=0.0003, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results demonstrate the anti-inflammatory effect of phonophoresis with E. nuda gel on cytokines TNF-α, IL-1α and adjuvant-induced arthritis.
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Basic and Applied Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Amazonas, Brazil; Amazonian Group for the Study of Inflammation and Autoimmunity (GAIA), Brazil; Médio Solimões Institute of Health and Biotechnology, Coari Campus, Federal University of Amazonas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lilian Regiani
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Merini
authors.affiliation: Morphology Department, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Amazonas, Brazil; Amazonian Group for the Study of Inflammation and Autoimmunity (GAIA), Brazil.
authors.forename: Silvânia da Conceição
authors.initials: Sda C
authors.lastname: Furtado
authors.affiliation: Undergraduate Science Project, Morphology Department, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Amazonas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcelo Miguel Brito
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Morphology Department, Center for Health Sciences, Federal University of Paraíba, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Lúcia Basílio
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Carneiro
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Basic and Applied Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Amazonas, Brazil; Amazonian Group for the Study of Inflammation and Autoimmunity (GAIA), Brazil. Electronic address: antonioluiz.boechat@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Antonio Luiz
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Boechat
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Basic and Applied Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Amazonas, Brazil; Morphology Department, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Amazonas, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Fernando Marques
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Barcellos
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001938:Brazil; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant; D005782:Gels / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D053582:Interleukin-1alpha / Q000097:blood; D015612:Phonophoresis; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D029632:Sapotaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D005782:Gels; D053582:Interleukin-1alpha; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D014867:Water; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant
keywords: Adjuvant-induced arthritis; Elaeoluma nuda; Phonophoresis