Effect of Sesbania Grandiflora and Sesbania Sesban Bark on Carrageenan Induced Acute Inflammation and Adjuvant-induced Arthritis in Rats

Nitric Oxide (NO) can autoregulate its own formation by feedback inhibition of the inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (iNOS). Modulation of biosynthesis or activity of NO results in amelioration if pathogenesis of experimental arthritis. However, little is known about feedback mechanism on NO generation in response to carrageenan induced paw oedema and adjuvantinduced arthritis. In the present study we have examined the effects of prophylactic administration of extracts of bark of Sesbania grandiflora and Sesbania sesban on the development of carrageenan induced paw oedema and adjuvant induced arthritis to assess influence of high NO level in the form of exogenous herbal extracts of bark of Sesbania grandiflora and Sesbania sesban in the progress of inflammation. Inflammation was assessed by measuring paw swelling. Increased paw oedema of the injected paw measured on 1 to 12 hrs which is feature of carrageenan induced inflammation was significantly reduced after prophylactic administration of petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol extracts of bark of Sesbania grandiflora (300mg/kg b.w. p.o.) and Sesbania sesban (300mg/kg b.w. p.o.) and arthritis was assessed by measuring primary and secondary paw swelling and changes in thymus, spleen and body weight. Increased swelling of the non injected paw (secondary paw) measured on days 14 and 21, injected paw swelling (primary paw) measured on days 3, 14 and 21, spleenomegaly, thymic involutions and loss in body wt. which are features of adjuvantinduced arthritis were effectively reduced after prophylactic administration of extracts of bark of Sesbania grandiflora and Sesbania sesban . These data suggests that high NO level in the from extracts of Sesbania grandiflora and Sesbania sesban may suppress initial stages of immune response to carrageenan and adjuvant injection probably by inhibiting iNOS expression through feedback inhibition mechanism. However, further studies are required to unravel the mechanism involved in these effects of extracts of bark of Sesbania grandiflora and Sesbania sesban and their clinical implications.