title: Cissampelos sympodialis Eichl. (Menispermaceae): oral treatment decreases IgE levels and induces a Th1-skewed cytokine production in ovalbumin-sensitized mice.
abstract: The murine model of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergy was used to evaluate the effectiveness of oral treatment with the leaf extract of Cissampelos sympodialis Eichl. (Menispermaceae) (CS) in the modulation of immunoglobulin E (IgE) production and T cell activation. CS treatment with doses ranging from 200 to 600 mg/Kg/day for 15 days before and during OVA-sensitization promoted reduction in total and OVA-specific serum IgE. CS at 400 or 600 mg/Kg/day also reduced paw edema induced by local OVA challenge. Daily intake of up to 600 mg/Kg of oral CS by BALB/c mice did not reduce weight gain, which is indicative of a lack of systemic toxicity. To assess the effect of CS treatment on T cell proliferative response to stimuli in vitro, the mitogenic response of spleen cells of treated and control animals were evaluated. Cells from CS-treated animals showed an elevated background proliferative response to concanavalin-A (Con-A) when compared to those from control animals. Oral intake of CS increased the in vitro production of IFN-gamma and IL-10 by Con-A stimulated cells. Mice treated with 200 mg/Kg/day CS showed increasing levels of IFN-gamma. These results show that oral treatment with Cissampelos sympodialis extract has an immunomodulatory effect, reducing allergy-associated responses possibly by a preferential activation of Th1-type cytokines.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Tecnologia Farmacêutica, Departamento de Fisiologia e Patologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, UFPB, Caixa Postal 5009, CEP 58, 051-970 João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Bezerra-Santos
authors.forename: F M P
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Balestieri
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rossi-Bergmann
authors.forename: L M T
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Peçanha
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Piuvezam
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D031606:Cissampelos; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004487:Edema / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology / Q000633:toxicity*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018515:Plant Leaves; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D010936:Plant Extracts; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D010047:Ovalbumin