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.

Cissampelos sympodialis has anti-viral effect inhibiting dengue non-structural viral protein-1 and pro-inflammatory mediators

ABSTRACT Dengue is the most important viral infection transmitted among humans by arthropod-borne. There are currently no vaccines or specific therapeutical treatment. Therefore, immunomodulatory compounds from plants have been widely examined for their antiviral effects. Cissampelos sympodialis Eichler, Menispermaceae, has scientifically proven to present immunomodulatory activities. Here we assessed the antiviral activity of leaf hydroalcoholic extract, warifteine or methylwarifteine from C. sympodialis in an in vitro dengue virus infection model. The results demonstrated that leaf hydroalcoholic extract or warifteine/methylwarifteine treatment did not reduce dengue virus-Ag+ hepatocyte (Huh-7 cell) rates in present experimental conditions. However, we assessed the potential antiviral effect of leaf hydroalcoholic extract or warifteine/methylwarifteine on dengue virus-infection by the production of inflammatory molecules, TNF-α, MIF, IL-8 and PGE2. Dengue virus infection enhanced TNF-α, MIF, IL-8 and PGE2 production in infected Huh-7 cells and leaf hydroalcoholic extract but not warifteine/methylwarifteine treatments, significantly reduced these molecules in infected cells. In dengue virus-infected Huh-7 cells, non-structural protein-1 is produced and leaf hydroalcoholic extract significantly inhibited it independently of alkaloids. Our findings imply that leaf hydroalcoholic extract may attenuate dengue virus infection in Huh-7 cells by inhibiting the enhanced of pro-inflammatory mediators and non-structural protein-1 production induce by dengue virus independently of warifteine/methywarifteine its major compound.

Fluxo salivar e concentração do fator de crescimento epidérmico (EGF) na saliva de pacientes diabéticos tipo 2 / Salivary flow and epidermal growth factor (EGF) levels in saliva of type 2 diabetic patients

O objetivo deste trabalho foi o de avaliar o fluxo salivar e a concentração do EGF na saliva de pacientes diabéticos, comparados a um grupo controle de pacientes clinicamente sadios. A amostra foi composta de 15 indivíduos divididos em dois gruops, G0 - controle (n=9) e G1 - diabéticos (n=6). A saliva foi coletada por estimulação mecânica com o auxílio de um hiperboloide. A concentração do EGF foi verificada por meio de imunoensaio do tipo sanduíche, com a utilização de Kit ELISA (R&D Systems®) e auxílio de um leitor de microplaca. Pôde-se observar uma média do fluxo salivar de 1,27 ml/min. no G0 e 1.26 ml/min. no G1, não havendo diferença estatisticamente significativa entre os dois grupos, quando empregado o teste t-Student (p=0,972). Quando ao EGF, foram observadas as médias de 1624,08 pg/ml e 2367,66 pg/ml para o G0 e G1, respectivamente, também não sendo esta diferença significante (p=0,559). Os dados deste trabalho demonstram que não houve diferenças significativas do fluxo salivar e da concentração de EGF na saliva dos pacientes diabéticos em relação ao grupo controle.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the salivary flow and the concentration of EGF in saliva of diabetic patients not insulin-dependents compared with a non diabetic patients (control group). Stimulated saliva was collected in two groups of patients: G0 - control (n=9) and G1 - diabetics (n=6), using a hiperbolóide. Saliva was expelled in the first minute and it was despised. In the following five minutes it was collected with a funnel connected to a graduated tube. EGF concentration measurement was performed using a sandwich-type immunoassay, using an ELISA Kit (R&D Systems®) and a microplate reader. It was observed an average of salivary flow of 1.27ml/min. in G0 and 1,26ml/min. in G1 and it was not found significant differences between the two groups (p=0,972). It was also observed an average of 1624.08 pg/ml of EGF in the G0 and 2367.66 pg/ml in the G1 and as the salivary flow the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.559). The data present in this work demonstrate no differences between salivary flow and EGF concentration of diabetic patients as compared as non-diabetic patients.

Estruturas de superfície de linfócitos T humano / Surface structures of human T lymphocytes

Conforme descrito nesta revisäo, a heterogeneidade na populaçäo de células T é evidenciada na literatura através de estudos empregando anticorpos monoclonais que reconhecem estruturas de superfície e que caracterizam diferentes subpopulaçöes celulares tanto no timo como no sangue periférico humano. Algumas destas estruturas estäo envolvidas no reconhecimento do antígeno, enquanto outras no estreito relacionamento entre as células T e as células que participam da resposta imune. No entanto, muitas desta moléculas de superfície que säo expressas nas células de origem linfóide (T e ou B) podem estar presentes em células de origem näo linfóide. Os estudos que relacionam estas estruturas de superficie e suas atividades funcionais, na resposta imune, poderäo fornecer subsídio para um melhor entendimento das interaçöes entre as células linfóides e as näo linfóides