title: Antinociceptive effects of hydroalcoholic extract from Euterpe oleracea Mart. (Açaí) in a rodent model of acute and neuropathic pain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Plants rich in flavonoids, such as açaí (Euterpe oleraceae Mart.), can induce antinociception in experimental animals. Here, we tested an extract obtained from the stones of açaí fruits (açaí stone extract, ASE), a native plant from the Amazon region of Brazil, in models of acute/inflammatory and chronic pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Antinociceptive effects of ASE were evaluated in the hot plate, formalin, acetic acid writhing, carrageenan, and neuropathic pain models, as well as in thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia models induced by spinal nerve ligation. Antinociceptive activities were modulated by the administration of cholinergic, adrenergic, opioid, and L-arginine-NO antagonists.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Oral administration of ASE (30, 100, or 300 mg.kg(-1)) dose-dependently reduced nociceptive responses to acute/inflammatory pain in mice, including thermal hyperalgesia, acetic acid-induced writhing, and carrageenan-induced thermal hyperalgesia. Moreover, ASE reduced the neurogenic and inflammatory phases after intraplantar injection of formalin in mice. The antinociceptive effect of ASE (100 mg · kg(-1)) in a hot plate protocol, was inhibited by pre-treatment with naloxone (1 mg · kg(-1)), atropine (2 mg · kg(-1)), yohimbine (5 mg · kg(-1)), or L-NAME (30 mg · kg(-1)). Furthermore, ASE prevented chronic pain in a rat spinal nerve ligation model, including thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ASE showed significant antinociceptive effect via a multifactorial mechanism of action, indicating that the extract may be useful in the development of new analgesic drugs.
authors.affiliation: Program of Research in Drug Development, Institute of Biomedical Science, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, Brazil. Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373 - Centro de Ciências da Saúde - bloco J, sala 14. Cidade Universitária - Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902, Brazil. rtsudo@icb.ufrj.br.
authors.forename: Roberto T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Sudo
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Psychobiology, IBRAG, State University of Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Av. 28 de setembro, 87 fundos 5° andar sala 7, Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, 20551-030, Brazil. mdlemos@oi.com.br.
authors.forename: Miguel L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Neto
authors.affiliation: Program of Research in Drug Development, Institute of Biomedical Science, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, Brazil. Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373 - Centro de Ciências da Saúde - bloco J, sala 14. Cidade Universitária - Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902, Brazil. cadusilvarj@ig.com.br.
authors.forename: Carlos E S
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.affiliation: Program of Research in Drug Development, Institute of Biomedical Science, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, Brazil. Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373 - Centro de Ciências da Saúde - bloco J, sala 14. Cidade Universitária - Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902, Brazil. rarav@globo.com.
authors.forename: Rachel V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Amaral
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Psychobiology, IBRAG, State University of Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Av. 28 de setembro, 87 fundos 5° andar sala 7, Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, 20551-030, Brazil. angelacr@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Ângela C
authors.initials: ÂC
authors.lastname: Resende
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Federal University of Para, Para, Brazil. pjcsou@ufpa.br.
authors.forename: Pergentino J C
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.affiliation: Program of Research in Drug Development, Institute of Biomedical Science, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, UFRJ, Brazil. Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373 - Centro de Ciências da Saúde - bloco J, sala 14. Cidade Universitária - Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902, Brazil. gsudo@icb.ufrj.br.
authors.forename: Gisele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zapata-Sudo
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Psychobiology, IBRAG, State University of Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Av. 28 de setembro, 87 fundos 5° andar sala 7, Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, 20551-030, Brazil. robertosoaresdemoura@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Roberto S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Moura
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D065748:Euterpe / Q000737:chemistry*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy; D051379:Mice; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D010936:Plant Extracts