Antinociceptive and Anti-inflammatory Activities of Marine Sponges Aplysina Caissara, Haliclona sp. and Dragmacidon Reticulatum

ABSTRACT Marine sponges are a rich source of bioactive natural products with multiple pharmacological properties. In this study, the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects of extracts obtained from Aplysina caissara, Haliclona sp. and Dragmacidon reticulatum were evaluated by using the writhing test and formalin-induced mouse paw edema model in mice. All extracts were administered via oral pathway in the doses of 60 and 90 mg/kg. In the writhing test the pre-treatment with all sponges resulted in significant inhibition of the acetic acid-induced response, suggesting an antinociceptive effect. The formalin test showed that the extracts from A. caissara, Haliclona sp. and D. reticulatum, in the tested doses, did not affect the first formalin phase, however, they were effective in the late phase. To assess the potential anti-inflammatory activity of the extracts, the test of formalin-induced paw edema was used. The oral administration of A. caissara, Haliclona sp. and D. reticulatum extracts significantly reduced the formalin-induced paw edema in mice. In conclusion, our data show that marine sponges can be an important source of anti-inflammatory and antinocicpetive products that can be promising therapeutical leads. Furthermore, pharmacological and chemical studies have been developed not only to characterize the mechanism(s) that is/are responsible for the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory action but also to identify the active principles of sponges.

Mutagenic effect of contaminated soil on the offspring of exposed rats / Efeito mutagênico da exposição a solos contaminados sobre a prole

This study aimed to measure irreversible DNA damage in the offspring of rats exposed to contaminated soil. Bone marrow cells were removed from the femurs of the offspring of rats that were exposed to contaminated soil via gavage during three different periods: 21 days prior to detection of pregnancy, during pregnancy and 21 days after birth, during the lactation period. For each group, we also had a control group under the same experimental conditions but exposed to uncontaminated soil. The results showed that pups borne of rats exposed to contaminated soil had an increase in the number of micronuclei in the different exposure groups compared with their respective control groups. This suggests a potential risk of mutagenic damage to the offspring of pregnant women who live at the sampling site.

Este estudo objetivou medir os danos irreversíveis de DNA na prole de ratas expostas a um solo contaminado, através do teste do micronúcleo. O mesmo foi realizado na medula óssea retirada do fêmur de filhotes de ratas expostas, via gavagem, em três diferentes períodos, ratas expostas durante 21 dias antes da detecção da prenhez, durante a prenhez e 21 dias após o nascimento, durante o período de aleitamento. Para cada grupo foi utilizado um grupo controle, mantido nas mesmas condições experimentais e expostos a um solo não contaminado. Os resultados obtidos nos filhotes expostos ao solo contaminado mostraram um aumento no número de micronúcleos nos três diferentes grupos expostos quando comparados aos seus respectivos grupos controle. Assim, os dados sugerem um potencial risco de dano mutagênico aos descendentes das gestantes residentes no local de amostragem.