Laboratório de Imunofarmacologia, Departamento de Fisiologia e Patologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, 58051-970 Paraíba, Brazil.
Int Immunopharmacol. 2012 Jun;13(2):148-55. doi: 10.1016/j.intimp.2012.03.014. Epub 2012 Apr 3.
Cissampelos sympodialis Eichl. (Menispermaceae) is a plant found in Northeastern and Southeast of Brazil and hot water infusion of C. sympodialis root bark is largely used in the indigenous and folk medicine to treat several inflammatory disorders, including asthma. Asthma is a chronic inflammatory allergic disease characterized by airway hyperreactivity (AHR), eosinophil tissue infiltration and lung remodeling. The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effect of C. sympodialis and its isolated alkaloid warifteine on allergen triggered airway hyperreactivity (AHR) and lung remodeling in murine model of asthma.
METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The oral pre-treatment with C. sympodialis or warifteine inhibited allergen-induced AHR to inhaled methacholine and IL-13 levels in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). In order to investigate the therapeutic potential of C. sympodialis and warifteine, animals were treated 1h after the last ovalbumin (OVA) challenge in sensitized animals. Similarly to the pre-treatment, post-treatment with warifteine was effective to inhibit significantly AHR to inhaled methacholine and to reduce IL-13 levels in the BAL. In addition, oral pre- or post-treatments with C. sympodialis or warifteine reduced OVA-induced eosinophil tissue infiltration, mucus production and subepithelial fibrosis to values similar to nonallergic controls.
Our data show the anti-allergic and immunoregulatory properties of C. sympodialis, acting mostly through the active compound warifteine, to inhibit the airway hyperreactivity and lung remodeling through a mechanism at least partially dependent of IL-13 and eosinophil inhibition. Therefore placing warifteine as an interesting therapeutic candidate in allergic inflammation and corroborating the folk medicine use of C. sympodialis as anti-allergic plant.
水叶薯（Menispermaceae 水叶薯属）是一种在巴西东北部和东南部发现的植物，其热水浸提的根皮在传统医学中被广泛用于治疗多种炎症性疾病，包括哮喘。哮喘是一种慢性炎症性过敏性疾病，其特征为气道高反应性（AHR）、嗜酸性粒细胞组织浸润和肺重塑。本研究旨在评估水叶薯及其分离的生物碱水黄皮碱在变应原诱发的气道高反应性（AHR）和哮喘小鼠模型中肺重塑的治疗效果。
方法/主要发现：口服水叶薯或水黄皮碱预处理可抑制变应原诱发的气道对吸入性乙酰甲胆碱的高反应性（AHR）和支气管肺泡灌洗液（BAL）中 IL-13 水平。为了研究水叶薯和水黄皮碱的治疗潜力，在致敏动物最后一次卵白蛋白（OVA）挑战后 1 小时进行治疗。与预处理相似，水黄皮碱后处理可有效抑制气道对吸入性乙酰甲胆碱的高反应性，并降低 BAL 中的 IL-13 水平。此外，水叶薯或水黄皮碱的口服预处理或后处理可降低 OVA 诱导的嗜酸性粒细胞组织浸润、黏液产生和黏膜下纤维化，使其恢复到非变应性对照的水平。
我们的数据显示了水叶薯的抗变应性和免疫调节特性，主要通过活性化合物水黄皮碱发挥作用，通过至少部分依赖于 IL-13 和嗜酸性粒细胞抑制的机制来抑制气道高反应性和肺重塑。因此，水黄皮碱作为一种在变应性炎症中具有治疗潜力的候选药物，证实了水叶薯在传统医学中作为抗变应原植物的用途。
