ab222010

Immunomodulatory effects of sucupira (Pterodon pubescens) seed infusion on collagen-induced arthritis

M.G.P. Coelho¹, K.C.C. Sabino¹, S.R. Dalmau^1,2

¹Department of Biochemistry, University of the State of Rio de Janeiro; ²Division of Experimental Medicine, Research Co-ordination, National Cancer Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

ABSTRACT
Objective
To evaluate the clinical and immunomodulatory efficacy of seed extracts from sucupira branca (Pterodon pubescens Benth.), a Brazilian anti-inflammatory folk medicine, against collagen II (CII)-induced arthritis (CIA) in mice.

Methods
Mice were divided into 3 groups: 1) normal control mice received a vehicle (ethanol 15% in water); 2) mice with CIA received the vehicle; and 3) mice with CIA received extract from 1 mg sucupira seeds/day. The daily oral treatments started 21 days after the first collagen immunization, ending 4 weeks later. We analyzed the arthritic index, the histopathology of the joints, the serum anti-CII IgG antibody level, and the absolute counts of the CD4⁺, CD8⁺, CD4⁺CD69⁺ and CD8⁺CD69⁺ subsets of inguinal lymph nodes (LN).

Results
Sucupira treatment strongly reduced the severity of arthritis (p < 0.001). Vehicle-treated CIA mice exhibited invasive synovial pannus and significant articular leukocyte infiltration, features that were reduced or absent in sucupira-treated mice. Mice with CIA exhibited twice the number of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ LN cells found in control mice.
Sucupira-treated mice exhibited these subsets in numbers comparable to the latter. A two-thirds decrease in the level of serum anti-CII IgG antibody and a normalization of the CD4⁺CD69⁺ LN cell number in treated mice hallmark a negative regulatory effect of sucupira on B- and CD4 T-cell activation, respectively. The CD8⁺CD69⁺ cell number remained roughly the same in the 3 groups.

Conclusion
The clinical and immunomodulatory effects of sucupira on CIA provides a further experimental basis for the popular use of sucupira in chronic inflammatory diseases.

Key words
Phytotherapy, sucupira, Pterodon pubescens, collagen-induced arthritis, lymphocytes, immunomodulation.

This study was supported by FAPERJ, UERJ, and Health Ministry of Brazil.
Please address correspondence to: Dr. Sergio Ranto Dalmau, Department of Biochemistry, University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Boulevard 28
de Setembro, 87 fundos, 4o andar, CEP 20551-013 Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
E-mail address: dalmau@openlink.com.br