Warifteine, a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid, decreases immediate allergic and thermal hyperalgesic reactions in sensitized animals.

Abstract

Warifteine is a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid isolated from the Cissampelos sympodialis Eichl (Menispermaceae). This plant is used in the folk medicine for the treatment of airway respiratory diseases. A murine model of immediate allergic reaction was used to evaluate warifteine treatment in the IgE production, leukocyte activation, thermal hyperalgesia, mast cell degranulation and scratching behavior. BALB/c mice treated with warifteine (0.4-10 mg/Kg) 1 h before OVA sensitization reduced OVA induced paw edema as well as the OVA-specific IgE serum titers as compared with non-treated and OVA-sensitized animals. Warifteine also reduced the mice death evoked by IgE-dependent anaphylactic shock reaction at 30 min after intravenous OVA challenge. To assess the effect of warifteine treatment on T cell proliferative response, spleen cells from warifteine treated or non-treated and OVA-sensitized animals were evaluated. Spleen cells from warifteine treated animals (2.0 mg/kg) did not proliferate following OVA stimulation as compared with spleen cell cultures from non-treated animals. This response may be related with the increase of NO production as observed in peritoneal macrophage cultures treated with warifteine. Thermal hyperalgesia evoked by IgE or histamine/5-hydroxytryptamine challenge was inhibited on rats at dose of 4.0 mg/kg. Warifteine treatment (0.6 or 6.0 microg/ml) also decreased the IgEalphaDNP-BSA sensitized mast degranulation after DNP-BSA challenge measured by histamine release. In addition, compound 48/80-induced scratching behavior was also sensitive to warifteine treatment. These results demonstrate for the first time that warifteine treatment reduced the allergy-associated responses.

• Authors: H F Costa, C R Bezerra-Santos, J M Barbosa Filho, M A Martins, M R Piuvezam
• Journal: International immunopharmacology (Int Immunopharmacol) Vol. 8 Issue 4 Pg. 519-25 (Apr 2008) ISSN: 1567-5769 [Print] Netherlands
• PMID: 18328442 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Alkaloids
• Nitric Oxide
• Immunoglobulin E
• warifteine
• Ovalbumin

Topics

• Alkaloids (administration & dosage, isolation & purification, therapeutic use)
• Anaphylaxis (drug therapy, immunology)
• Animals
• Cell Degranulation (drug effects)
• Cell Proliferation (drug effects)
• Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
• Histamine Release (drug effects)
• Hyperalgesia (drug therapy, immunology)
• Hypersensitivity, Immediate (drug therapy)
• Immunoglobulin E (blood)
• Lymphocyte Activation (drug effects)
• Macrophages, Peritoneal (immunology, metabolism)
• Mast Cells (immunology, metabolism)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred BALB C
• Nitric Oxide (metabolism)
• Ovalbumin (immunology)
• Rats
• Rats, Wistar
• T-Lymphocytes (immunology)