Anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of Ulomoides dermestoides on induced pleurisy in rats and lymphoproliferation in vitro.

The following study aimed to evaluate, in vitro and in vivo, the anti-inflammatory effect of Ulomoides dermestoides, a beetle commonly used as a remedy for a variety of diseases including respiratory disorders and asthma. We used an acute inflammation model of injury, injection of carrageenan into the pleural cavity of rats. The rats were treated intraperitoneally with the aqueous extract of U. dermestoides 8 and 16 mg/kg. The exudate volume, protein concentration, polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) and total leukocyte were measured. The peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from the blood of healthy subjects and we investigated the immunomodulatory and cytotoxic effect of aqueous extract of U. dermestoides. In conclusion, in vitro we observed a non-cytotoxic effect and antiproliferative activity on the dose of 12.5 mg/dL. In vivo, this paper clarifies the great clinical relevance of the aqueous extract of U. dermestoides in elucidating its role as an anti-inflammatory agent.