Carlos Roberto Machado Gayer

Acute and topic anti-edematogenic fractions isolated from the seeds of Pterodon pubescens.

We previously demonstrated that alcoholic extracts from Pterodon pubescens Benth. (Sucupira branca, Leguminosae) seeds exhibit anti‐arthritic activity. In the present work we show that the oleaginous extract obtained from P. pubescens seeds (OEP) exhibits acute or topic anti‐edematogenic activity when tested in carrageenan‐induced paw edema or in croton oil‐induced ear edema assays, respectively. Four fractions were obtained from OEP by sequential liquid–liquid extraction. The anti‐edematogenic properties were predominant in the hexanic fraction, which was further fractionated by HPLC, yielding three sub‐fractions (PF1.1, PF1.2 and PF1.3). PF1.1 and PF1.3 showed potent acute and topic anti‐edematogenic activity. The PF1.2 sub‐fraction, although not active in the carrageenan assay, exhibited a potent anti‐edematogenic activity in the croton oil‐induced ear edema. This sub‐fraction shows a maximum efficacy similar to indometacin in a lower dose. The PF1.1 sub‐fraction presented a complex mixture containing furane diterpene derivatives of vouacapan. PF1.2 consists of a single substance, geranylgeraniol, as determined by GC/MS and NMR, while PF1.3 contains farnesol.

In vitro and in vivo toxicological study of the Pterodon pubescens seed oil

The oil of Pterodon pubescens seeds (PpSO) is known for its cercaricidal and anti-inflammatory effects. Its anti-rheumatic activity was recently reported using mice with collagen II-induced arthritis treated with a hydroalcoholic extract of PpSO, mimicking the wine infusion used in popular medicine. In the present study, PpSO was tested for acute toxicity, mutagenic activity and cytotoxicity for human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC). PpSO was obtained after seed extraction with 100% ethanol and evaporation. Cytotoxicity was estimated using the tetrazolium salt reduction test (MTT assay) by PBMNC (2.5 x 10(5) cells/ml) after exposure to 0.07, 0.7 and 7 microg PpSO/ml for 24 and 48 h. In the mutagenesis assay, the Salmonella/mammalian microsome assay was employed with or without metabolization. Acute toxicity was studied on 30 (n = 10/group) male DBA1/J mice (20 +/- 2 g) after a single oral dose of 2, 4, and 8 g PpSO/kg b.w. The animals were observed for 24 h, anesthetized, sacrificed and autopsied. The organs were processed for histopathology by staining with hematoxylin-eosin. The IC50 of PpSO to PBMNC in RPMI 1640 supplemented with 5% fetal calf serum (FCS) was 2 and 1 microg PpSO/ml after 24 and 48 h, respectively. The mutagenic test performed with or without metabolic activation of PpSO did not show mutagenic activity for the concentrations tested (7 and 70 microg/ml). Mouse mortality or significant signs of acute toxicity (ocular, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, motor or respiratory signs) for the PpSO doses tested was not observed. The organs did not show any macroscopic alterations. Histopathologic analysis of the tissues also did not demonstrate any lesions. The present study provides data to classify PpSO as non-cytotoxic to PBMNC, non-mutagenic, and non-toxic after acute administration since the PpSO doses tested were extremely higher than those used by the population.

Subacute toxicity evaluation of a hydroalcoholic extract of Pterodon pubescens seeds in mice with collagen-induced arthritis

When the immune system is stimulated there is a concomitant decrease in drug biotransformation and elimination that may results in unwanted drug response and toxic side effects. We investigated the subacute toxicity of a hydroalcoholic extract of Pterodon pubescens seeds (HEPp) to DBA1/J mice with collagen II-induced arthritis. The oral treatment with HEPp reduced the arthritic index without any concomitant alteration in their hematological examination, histopathological analysis and relative or absolute weight of several organs and in several clinical biochemical parameters when compared with the control group. We concluded that daily administration of anti-arthritic doses of HEPp did not induce any detectable subacute toxic side-effect in mice whose host defense mechanisms is active as we can observe in mice with CIA.

Avaliação da proteína amilóide A sérica na atividade clínica da artrite reumatóide

A artrite reumatoide (AR) e uma doenca auto-imune, cronica, caracterizada pelo comprometimento inflamatorio das articulacoes sinoviais perifericas. A proteina amiloide A serica (SAA) e uma das principais proteinas de fase aguda (PFA), porem seu uso na rotina do laboratorio clinico ainda e pouco difundido. OBJETIVO: O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar a utilidade da SAA na avaliacao da atividade clinica da AR. METODOS: Foram estudados 113 pacientes com AR, diagnosticados segundo os criterios do Colegio Americano de Reumatologia. Para a caracterizacao da atividade de doenca, foi utilizado o Indice de Atividade de Doenca (IAD), proposto pela Liga Europeia Contra o Reumatismo. RESULTADOS: A SAA apresentou correlacao positiva, estatisticamente significativa, com a proteina C-Reativa (PCR), tanto como a α-1-glicoproteina acida (AGP), quanto com o IAD. Nossos resultados demonstraram que a SAA apresentou, particularmente, uma maior sensibilidade na determinacao da atividade inflamatoria da AR, em comparacao as outras PFA. Apresentou, tambem, uma boa capacidade de discriminar os grupos de atividade moderada e alta do IAD. Como o IAD nao mede unicamente o componente inflamatorio da AR, a dosagem de uma PFA e de grande utilidade para a caracterizacao da atividade dessa enfermidade. CONCLUSOES: Os resultados deste estudo sugerem que a SAA pode ser de grande valor na determinacao da atividade inflamatoria da AR.