Advantage of Guaraná (Paullinia cupana Mart.) supplementation on cadmium-induced damages in testis of adult Wistar rats.

Paullinia cupana is an Amazonian bush whose seeds have long been used in folk medicine. However, most of the therapeutic properties attributed to this plant are broad and nonspecific, although an antioxidant activity has been reported.  On the other hand, cadmium is a heavy metal known for increasing free radicals, hence resulting in cellular oxidative damages. This study was designed to evaluate whether Paullinia cupana is able to reduce cadmium-induced morphological impairment in Wistar rat testis. Adult male Wistar rats 110 days old were ip injected with cadmium (1.15 mg/kg BW [body weight]) and subsequently treated with P. cupana during 56 days.  Furthermore, groups receiving either P. cupana extract or cadmium are mentioned. After the treatment period, testis samples were subjected to histological and stereological analyses. Moderate to severe testicular impairments were shown by the animals exposed to cadmium. However, the animals supplemented with P. cupana after cadmium exposure showed a significant decrease in the proportion of damaged seminiferous tubules. Also, P. cupana supplementation was effective in maintaining the number of Leydig cells per testis in the animals exposed to cadmium. In conclusion, P. cupana supplementation was partially efficient in preventing cadmium from damaging the testis of adult Wistar rats.

Antioxidative and in vitro antiproliferative activity of Arctium lappa root extracts.

BACKGROUND: Arctium lappa, known as burdock, is widely used in popular medicine for hypertension, gout, hepatitis and other inflammatory disorders. Pharmacological studies indicated that burdock roots have hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, free radical scavenging and antiproliferative activities. The aim of this study was to evaluate total phenolic content, radical scavenging activity by DPPH and in vitro antiproliferative activity of different A. lappa root extracts. METHODS: Hot and room temperature dichloromethanic, ethanolic and aqueous extracts; hydroethanolic and total aqueous extract of A. lappa roots were investigated regarding radical scavenging activity by DPPH, total phenolic content by Folin-Ciocalteau method and antiproliferative in vitro activity was evaluated in human cancer cell lines. The hydroethanolic extract analyzed by high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy. RESULTS: Higher radical scavenging activity was found for the hydroethanolic extract. The higher phenolic contents were found for the dichloromethane, obtained both by Soxhlet and maceration extraction and hydroethanolic extracts. The HRESI-MS demonstrated the presence of arctigenin, quercetin, chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid compounds, which were identified by comparison with previous data. The dichloromethane extracts were the only extracts that exhibited activity against cancer cell lines, especially for K562, MCF-7 and 786-0 cell lines. CONCLUSIONS: The hydroethanolic extracts exhibited the strongest free radical scavenging activity, while the highest phenolic content was observed in Soxhlet extraction. Moreover, the dichloromethanic extracts showed selective antiproliferative activity against K562, MCF-7 and 786-0 human cancer cell lines.

Toxicological evaluation of ametryn effects in Wistar rats.

São Paulo state, Brazil, is one of the main areas of sugar cane planting in the world. Extensive use of ametryn, a triazine herbicide, in sugar cane agriculture and the properties of this herbicide suggest it could be present in the environment as a potential contaminant of soil, surface water, groundwater, and river sediment. In order to clarify the mechanism through which ametryn could be toxic, an in vivo study with Wistar rats was conducted using hematological, biochemical, molecular, morphological and genotoxic approaches. For this purpose, two sub-lethal ametryn concentrations (15 mg and 30 mg/kg/day) were administered to 42 rats divided into three groups (n=12) by gavage during 56 days, whereupon blood, liver and bone marrow were collected. The results showed ametryn genotoxic activity by in vivo micronuclei testing. This event probably occurred as consequence of oxidative stress induction demonstrated by GSTM1 transcript levels increase (indicating complexation between ametryn and/or metabolites with GSH) and by SOD activity decrease. Also, Mn-SOD transcripts were increased, probably avoiding mtDNA damage caused by EROS. These mechanisms displayed hepatic stellate cell (HSCs) activation because two major biomarkers were regulated, connexin and cadherin. N-cad transcripts were increased on both exposed groups while E-cad decreased in the T1 group, indicating epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. In addition, Cx43 transcripts were decreased suggesting an increase in collagen content. Volumetric proportion of sinusoids was significantly decreased in T1 group and no significant alteration in hepatocyte volume was observed, indicating an increase in the space of Disse, due to fibrosis. Hepatocyte nuclei showed significant decrease in diameter and volume. Few hematological alterations were found. We emphasize the importance of other approaches, such as cell death and proliferation assays, so that ametryn toxicity can better be understood.

Heteropterys aphrodisiaca infusion reduces the collateral effects of cyclosporine A on the testis.

Cyclosporine A (CsA) is known to have testicular toxicity, leading to male infertility. Stimulant and aphrodisiac properties have been attributed to the plant, Heteropterys aphrodisiaca. Thus, the present work was undertaken to evaluate the association of the drug and the medicinal herb in Wistar rats, applying testicular morphometry and ultrastructure. Twenty-four rats were used, divided into four groups: I, control; II, CsA; III, simultaneous use of CsA and H. aphrodisiaca; IV, H. aphrodisiaca. Daily administration by gavage was carried out, during 56 days, of water (sham), CsA in a dose of 15 mg/kg per day and/or H. aphrodisiaca in a dose of 0.5 ml of the infusion prepared with 25 g of roots/100 ml of boiling water. Increased body weight was observed for all groups, but the animals that received only CsA showed the smallest body weight gain. Morphometry showed increased connective tissue volumetric proportion and decreased Leydig cell volumetric proportion in CsA-treated rats. Using transmission electron microscopy, it was possible to ascertain that CsA caused seminiferous epithelium degeneration, resulting in Sertoli cell vacuolization, abnormal round and elongated spermatids and large accumulation of residual cytoplasm at the epithelium border next to the lumen. Expanded intercellular spaces between germ cells were still observed in H. aphrodisiaca-treated rat testes. The administration of H. aphrodisiaca infusion to CsA-treated rats diminished nearly all the CsA-induced damage to the testis ultrastructure, suggesting that H. aphrodisiaca infusion may be used combined with CsA to reduce CsA-induced injuries in the testis.