Haematological and immunological effects of repeated dose exposure of rats to integerrimine N-oxide from Senecio brasiliensis.

Abstract

This study is the first in the literature to focus attention on the possible immunotoxic effect of integerrimine N-oxide content in the butanolic residue (BR) of Senecio brasiliensis, a poisonous hepatotoxic plant that contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). PAs have been reported as a pasture and food contaminant and as herbal medicine used worldwide and are responsible for poisoning events in livestock and human beings. After the plant extraction, BR extracted from Senecio brasiliensis was found to contain approximately 70% integerrimine N-oxide by elemental and spectral analyses ((1)H and (13)C NMR), which was administered to adult male Wistar Hannover rats at doses of 3, 6 and 9 mg/kg for 28 days. Body weight gain, food consumption, lymphoid organs, neutrophil analysis, humoural immune response, cellular immune response and lymphocyte analysis were evaluated. Our study showed that integerrimine N-oxide could promote an impairment in the body weight gain, interference with blood cell counts and a reducing T cell proliferative activity in rats; however, no differences in the neutrophil activities, lymphocytes phenotyping and humoural and cellular immune responses were observed. It is concluded that doses of integerrimine N-oxide here employed did not produce marked immunotoxic effects.

• Authors: Fabiana Elias, Andreia O Latorre, Fernando Pípole, Mitsue Haraguchi, Silvana L Górniak, Isis M Hueza
• Journal: Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association (Food Chem Toxicol) Vol. 49 Issue 9 Pg. 2313-9 (Sep 2011) ISSN: 1873-6351 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 21722699 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Plant Extracts
• Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids
• senecionine

Topics

• Animals
• Antibody Formation (drug effects)
• Cell Cycle (drug effects)
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Immunity, Cellular (drug effects)
• Lymphoid Tissue (drug effects)
• Male
• Neutrophils (cytology, drug effects)
• Plant Extracts (pharmacology)
• Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids (pharmacology)
• Rats
• Rats, Wistar
• Senecio (chemistry)