Abstract
1 The anti-inflammatory activity of crotalaburnine (=anacrotine) was investigated against increased vascular permeability and oedema produced by formalin, carrageenin, hyaluronidase, 5-hydroxytryptamine, dextran, bradykinin and prostaglandin, and against formation of granulation tissues by cotton-pellet in rats. The effect was compared with the activity of hydrocortisone, phenylbutazone, sodium salicylate and cyproheptadine against different types of inflammation. 2 Crotalaburnine (40 mg/kg s.c. × 5 alternate days) had no significant inhibitory effect against formalin-induced arthritis, while hydrocortisone (40 mg/kg s.c. × 10 days) was effective from the fifth day onwards. 3 Against carrageenin-induced oedema both crotalaburnine (10 mg/kg s.c.) and phenylbutazone (100 mg/kg oral) produced a similar degree of inhibition. Hydrocortisone (10 mg/kg s.c.) produced slightly greater inhibition. 4 In normal rats crotalaburnine (10 mg/kg s.c), phenylbutazone (100 mg/kg oral) and sodium salicylate (500 mg/kg i.p.) inhibited hyaluronidase-induced oedema. However, in adrenalectomized rats, there was a reduction of the inhibitory effect of sodium salicylate but not of phenylbutazone or crotalaburnine. 5 Crotalaburnine (40 mg/kg s.c. and 30 mg/kg i.p., respectively) was ineffective against 5-hydroxytryptamine- and dextran-induced oedema but against bradykinin- and prostaglandin-induced oedema (in a dose of 20 mg/kg i.p.) it was quite effective. In a parallel series cyproheptadine (10 mg/kg oral and i.p., respectively) produced significant inhibition of 5-hydroxytryptamine- and dextran-induced oedema, while phenylbutazone (100 mg/kg i.p.) failed to produce any significant inhibition of prostaglandin-induced oedema. 6 Against cotton-pellet granuloma crotalaburnine, in half the dose of hydrocortisone, produced similar inhibition while phenylbutazone produced much greater inhibition in five times the dose of crotalaburnine given orally. 7 The possible mode of action of crotalaburnine as an anti-oedema agent is discussed.