Syzygium jambolanum treatment improves survival in lethal sepsis induced in mice.

BACKGROUND: The leaves and the fruits from Syzygium jambolanum DC.(Myrtaceae), a plant known in Brazil as sweet olive or 'jambolão', have been used by native people to treat infectious diseases, diabetes, and stomachache. Since the bactericidal activity of S. jambolanum has been confirmed in vitro, the aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of the prophylactic treatment with S. jambolanum on the in vivo polymicrobial infection induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) in mice. METHODS: C57Bl/6 mice were treated by the subcutaneous route with a hydroalcoholic extract from fresh leaves of S. jambolanum (HCE). After 6 h, a bacterial infection was induced in the peritoneum using the lethal CLP model. The mice were killed 12 h after the CLP induction to evaluate the cellular influx and local and systemic inflammatory mediators' production. Some animals were maintained alive to evaluate the survival rate. RESULTS: The prophylactic HCE treatment increased the mice survival, the neutrophil migration to infectious site, the spreading ability and the hydrogen peroxide release, but decreased the serum TNF and nitrite. Despite the increased migration and activation of peritoneal cells the HCE treatment did not decrease the number of CFU. The HCE treatment induced a significant decrease on the bone marrow cells number but did not alter the cell number of the spleen and lymph node. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the treatment with S. jambolanum has a potent prophylactic anti-septic effect that is not associated to a direct microbicidal effect but it is associated to a recruitment of activated neutrophils to the infectious site and to a diminished systemic inflammatory response.

Efficacy of the intralesional treatment with Chenopodium ambrosioides in the murine infection by Leishmania amazonensis.

AIM OF THE STUDY: Leishmaniasis, caused by protozoan from Leishmania genus, is an endemic disease in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The chemotherapy to this disease is not always effective and can cause several side effects. Chenopodium ambrosioides L. (Chenopodiaceae) is used by the native people in the treatment of cutaneous ulcers caused by different species of Leishmania. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the treatment with a hydroalcoholic crude extract (HCE) from the leaves of Chenopodium ambrosioides on the murine infection with Leishmania amazonensis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The mice were treated for 4-6 weeks post-infection (p.i.) with HCE (5 mg/kg) or meglumine antimoniate (Sb(v)) (28 mg/kg) either by the oral route, once a day, for 15 days or by five intralesional (IL) injections at intervals of 4 days. The thickness of the infected paws was determined weekly and the parasite load evaluated in the draining lymph nodes (LN), the spleen and in the footpad after 7 weeks of infection. The nitric oxide (NO) production was evaluated in cultures with cells from peritoneum or LN. RESULTS: The IL treatment increased the NO production in the LN and peritoneum cultures and reduced the parasite load from the footpad, spleen and LN. On the other hand, the oral treatment decreased did alter neither the NO production nor the parasite load. CONCLUSIONS: IL HCE treatment was more efficient than the oral HCE treatment since the former was able to control the dissemination of infection. This effect can be due to either a direct leishmanicidal effect of HCE or the improvement in the NO production by HCE-stimulated macrophages. The results could justify the topical use of the Chenopodium ambrosioides' leaves in the treatment of the ulcers caused by Leishmania.

Increase of cellular recruitment, phagocytosis ability and nitric oxide production induced by hydroalcoholic extract from Chenopodium ambrosioides leaves.

The leaves and the oil from the seeds of Chenopodium ambrosioides L. (Chenopodiaceae), a plant known in Brazil as 'mastruz', have been used by native people to treat parasitic diseases. Experimentally it was shown that Chenopodium ambrosioides inhibits the Ehrlich tumor growth, what could be due to an immunomodulatory effect of this product. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of hydroalcoholic crude extract (HCE) from leaves of Chenopodium ambrosioides on macrophage activity and on lymphoid organs cellularity. C3H/HePas mice received the HCE (5mg/kg) by intraperitoneal via and were sacrificed 2 days later. HCE treatment did not alter the cell number in bone marrow, but it increased the cell number in peritoneal cavity, spleen and lymph node. The spreading and phagocytosis activity, the PMA-induced hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) release and the nitric oxide (NO) production were also increased when compared to control group. Similar results were obtained with concanavalin A (Con A), used as a positive control, with exception of the NO production that was only detected in HCE-derived macrophages. The in vitro treatment with HCE induced a dose-dependent NO production by resident macrophages, but did not enhance the NO production by HCE-derived macrophage, which however, was enhanced by Con A, suggesting that HCE and Con A induce NO production by different routes. In conclusion, HCE-treatment was able to increase the macrophages activity and also the cellular recruitment to secondary lymphoid organs, what could explain the previously related anti-tumor activity of Chenopodium ambrosioides.

Anti-thrombotic effect of chronic oral treatment with Orbignya phalerata Mart.

Babassu is the popular name of Orbignya phalerata Mart. (Arecaceae). The mesocarp flour obtained from their fruits has been used in Brazil as medicine in the treatment of pains, constipation, obesity, leukemia, rheumatism, ulcerations, tumors, inflammations and venous diseases. The effect of the chronic oral treatment with aqueous extract of babassu mesocarp (500mg/kgday) on the number of platelets, the prothrombin time (PT), the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), the nitric oxide (NO) production and the carrageenin-induced thrombosis was evaluated, using C57Bl/6 mice. The chronic oral treatment with babassu mesocarp induced an anti-thrombotic effect. There was a 88.9% reduction in the necrosis of the tail. This effect seems to be related to an increase in the ability of the macrophage to produce NO and to a slow coagulation process associated to an increase of 12.0 and 13.9% in PT and aPTT, respectively. However, the anti-thrombotic effect seems to be not related to alterations in the number of platelets. It is possible to conclude that the oral treatment with babassu mesocarp has a significant anti-thrombotic effect, which could justify the popular use of babassu mesocarp in the treatment of venous diseases. Meanwhile, this study suggests a potential use of babassu mesocarp as a prophylactic agent to avoid thrombosis events.