J Ethnopharmacol. 2001 Oct; 77(2-3): 159-64.

Subacute toxicity evaluation of a hydroalcoholic extract of Pterodon pubescens seeds in mice with collagen-induced arthritis.

Pinto Coelho MG, Marques PR, Gayer CR, Vaz LC, Neto JF, Sabino KC.

Departamento de BioquÃmica do Instituto de Biologia Roberto AlcÃ¢ntara Gomes, Centro BiomÃ©dico - Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Av 28 de Setembro, 87, fundos, 4o andar. CEP 20551-013, RJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. marsen@uerj.br

When the immune system is stimulated there is a concomitant decrease in drug biotransformation and elimination that may results in unwanted drug response and toxic side effects. We investigated the subacute toxicity of a hydroalcoholic extract of Pterodon pubescens seeds (HEPp) to DBA1/J mice with collagen II-induced arthritis. The oral treatment with HEPp reduced the arthritic index without any concomitant alteration in their hematological examination, histopathological analysis and relative or absolute weight of several organs and in several clinical biochemical parameters when compared with the control group. We concluded that daily administration of anti-arthritic doses of HEPp did not induce any detectable subacute toxic side-effect in mice whose host defense mechanisms is active as we can observe in mice with CIA.