The sesquiterpenes polygodial and drimanial in vitro affect glutamatergic transport in rat brain.
Natural products including those derived from plants, have over the years greatly contributed to the development of therapeutic drugs. Polygodial and drimanial are sesquiterpenes isolated from the bark of the plant Drymis Winteri (Winteraceae) that exhibit antinociceptive properties. Since peripheral glutamate presents nociceptive actions, in this study it was investigated the effects of hydroalcooholic extracts from Drymis winteri (polygodial and drimanial) on the glutamatergic system in rat brain. Polygodial and drimanial inhibited glutamate uptake by astrocytes, as well as by cortical, hippocampal and striatal slices, and increased synaptosomal glutamate release. These concurrent effects would predispose to an increase in the extracellular glutamate concentrations, leading to possible neurotoxic effects (excitotoxicity) of these natural compounds, which would suggest the need for some caution in their therapeutic application.
Martini
Lucia Helena
LH
Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600-Anexo, 90035-003, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Cereser
Lucas
L
Junior
Isaac Zanonato
IZ
Jardim
Fluvia Melina Alves
FM
Vendite
Deusa Aparecida
DA
Frizzo
Marcos Emilio dos Santos
ME
Yunes
Rosendo A
RA
Calixto
João Batista
JB
Wofchuk
Susana
S
Souza
Diogo O
DO
D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D001692:Biological Transport; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013574:Synaptosomes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D032423:Winteraceae
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C469416:drimanial; D018698:Glutamic Acid; C034380:polygodial