EFFECT OF DIFFERENT AGENTS ON TONGUE, SKIN AND PAW EDEMA INDUCED BY Dieffenbachia picta Schott in vivo

PAULO A. MELO(1)

(1)Departamento de Farmacologia Básica e Clínica ICB, CCS Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro.

We have investigated the tongue, paw and skin edema induced by D. picta juice in mice and the effect of some local anesthetic agents (benzocaine lidocaine and bupivacaine). Tongue edema was induced by topical application of D. picta juice and it was evaluated with a digital tachymeter during 120 min. We also investigated the skin edema by using i.v. injection of Evan’s blue dye (2.5% solution; 50 mg/kg) 15 min. before the intradermal injection of of D. picta juice. Skin edema was evaluated by measuring the dyed plasma extravasation and accumulation in the skin in a spectrophometer. The tongue edema reached the maximum at 60 min. after topical application of 0,1 ml of D. picta crude juice in the control mice, and it was completely inhibited by topical application of benzocaine and partially inhibited by lidocaine (circa of 30%). Preincubation of D. picta juice with lidocaine, decrease the skin edema and alkaline bupivacaine completely abolished it. These local anesthetic effects are indicative that the functional integrity of the afferent sensitive fibers and terminal axons could be involved in the genesis of the acute edema and the inflammatory response induced by D. picta juice in mice.

KEY WORDS: Dieffenbachia picta,  tongue edema and inflammation, o local anesthetics and eugenol  

SUPPORT: CNPq, FAPERJ, PRONEX, CAPES, FUJB-UFRJ.

CORRESPONDENCE TO: PAULO A. MELO, Departamento de Farmacologia Básica e Clínica ICB, CCS Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21941-590, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. E-mail: pamelo@farmaco.ufrj.br.