BACKGROUND: Copaiba oil and crajiru are Amazon phytotherapics which have anti-inflammatory and cicatrisation properties. There are no descriptions about their effects in the pleural space. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate macro and microscopic pleuropulmonary alterations after injection of copaiba's oil, aqueous extract of crajiru and iodine PVP in the pleural space of mice. METHODS: 128 Rattus norvegicus var. Wistar, male, with average weight of 198.9g (± 24.9g), were used and assigned for four groups: copaíba, PVPI, crajiru and control. These substances were injected in the right pleural space of the animals, which were killed in 24h, 48h, 72h and 504h. They were submitted to macroscopical and microscopical analysis of the lung and right visceral pleura. RESULTS: Macroscopic evaluation showed intense pleuropulmonary reaction in the copaiba's group with statistical significance (p=0.001) in opposite to the other groups and the different studied moments (24h, 48h, 72h and 504h). Microscopically, the pleural thickness had greater increase in the copaiba's group with statistical significance at the moments 72h and 504h. The PVPI caused an acute inflammatory reaction in the beginning of the experiment (24h and 48h) with improvement in 72h, however, in the last observation, chronic injury was shown The crajiru's group presented little damage and without significance in relation to the other groups. CONCLUSION: Copaíba revealed to be greatly irritating; the PVPI was moderately irritating and the watery extract of crajiru presented little inflammatory reaction for the pleura and lung of rats.
Plants, medicinal; Plant extracts; Phytotherapy; Lung; Pleura
