Nephroprotective effects of Lippia sidoides ethanolic extract against ischemia/reperfusion-induced acute kidney injury

Abstract Ischemia/reperfusion injury (I/R) is commonly related to acute kidney injury (AKI) and oxidative stress. Antioxidant agents are used to treat this condition. Lippia sidoides is a brazillian shrub with anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of Lippia sidoides ethanolic extract (LSEE) on in vivo and in vitro models of AKI induced by I/R. Male Wistar rats were submitted to unilateral nephrectomy and ischemia on contralateral kidney for 60 min via clamping followed by reperfusion for 48 h. They were divided into four groups: Sham, LSEE (sham-operated rats pre-treated with LSEE), I/R (rats submitted to ischemia) and I/R-LSEE (rats treated with LSEE before ischemia). Kidney tissues homogenates were used to determine stress parameters and nephrin expression. Plasma and urine samples were collected for biochemical analysis. I/R in vitro assays were evaluated by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide (MTT) and flow cytometry assays in Rhesus Monkey Kidney Epithelial Cells (LLC-MK2). The LSEE treatment prevented biochemical and nephrin expression alterations, as well as oxidative stress parameters. In the in vitro assay, LSEE protected against cell death, reduced the reactive oxygen species and increased mitochondrial transmembrane potential. LSEE showed biotechnological potential for a new phytomedicine as a nephroprotective agent.

4-Carvomenthenol, a monoterpene of essential oils, and its underlying effects on anti-inflammatory activity and immediate hypersensitivity reaction

Abstract The monoterpene 4-carvomenthenol (Carvo) is found in essential oils of plant. Here, we evaluate the Carvo oral pretreatment in acute inflammatory experimental models and in silico molecular docking. Mice pretreated with Carvo were challenged and submitted to the protocols: paw edema, peritonitis, scratching behavior and anaphylactic shock reaction. Besides, we used histamine H1 receptor, cyclooxygenases (COX-1 and COX-2) and phospholipase A2, as targets for molecular docking analysis. Carvo inhibited the carrageenan-induced paw edema and decreased the peritoneal influx of polymorphonuclear cells on carrageenan-challenged mice without interfering with the mononuclear cell influx. Moreover, Carvo diminished the histamine, PGE2 and compound 48/80 induced paw edematogenic effect. The monoterpene also diminished the mice scratching behavior and, surprisingly, avoided the animal death caused by compound 48/80 in 30 min. Through the docking analysis, Carvo showed favorable binding energy to the histamine H1 receptor. This study demonstrates that Carvo attenuated the allergic inflammatory process, decreasing edema, cell migration, activation of mast cells and the histamine release, probably due to interaction of Carvo with the histamine H1 receptor, ameliorating the itching and the anaphylactic shock reaction. Therefore, the results of this study indicate that Carvo has anti-inflammatory properties by reducing the histamine effects.