title: Anti-inflammatory effects of a triterpenoid isolated from Wilbrandia ebracteata Cogn.
abstract: Wilbrandia ebracteata (WE), a Brazilian medicinal plant used in folk medicine for the treatment of rheumatic diseases, displays anti-inflammatory properties and constitutes a rich source of cucurbitacins and cucurbitacin-related compounds. The current study investigated the potential anti-inflammatory properties of Dihydrocucurbitacin B (DHCB), a cucurbitacin-derived compound isolated from roots of WE, in some in vivo and in vitro experimental models. Intraperitoneal treatment of mice with DHCB reduced both carrageenan-induced paw edema (0.3, 1 and 3 mg/kg caused inhibitions of 26, 44 and 56 % at 2 h after stimulation, respectively) and pleurisy (10 mg/kg inhibited leukocyte numbers and LTB(4) levels in the pleural fluid by 51 and 75% at 6 h after cavity challenge, respectively). In vitro, DHCB (up to 10 microg/mL) failed to modify LTB(4) production by human neutrophils or PGE(2) production by COS-7 cells transfected with COX-1, but PGE(2) production by COX-2 transfected COS-7 cells was markedly inhibited (by 72%). The levels of COX-1 or COX-2 proteins in IL-1alpha-stimulated NIH3T3 cells were unaffected by DHCB. The results corroborate the potential anti-inflammatory properties ascribed to W. ebracteata Cogn. in folk medicine and suggest that they might be attributed, at least in part, to the capacity of one of this plants main constituents, DHCB, to inhibit COX-2 activity (but not its expression) during inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology - Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jarbas Mota
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Siqueira
authors.forename: Rodrigo Rebelo
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: Andressa Córneo
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Gazola
authors.forename: Patrícia Baier
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Krepsky
authors.forename: Mareni Rocha
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Farias
authors.forename: Giles Alexander
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Rae
authors.forename: Artur José
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: de Brum-Fernandes
authors.forename: Rosa Maria
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Ribeiro-do-Valle
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D019556:COS Cells; D002351:Carrageenan; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D019662:Cucurbitaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004487:Edema / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007975:Leukotriene B4 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008752:Methylene Chloride; D051379:Mice; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D010998:Pleurisy / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012997:Solvents; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D012997:Solvents; D014315:Triterpenes; D007975:Leukotriene B4; D008752:Methylene Chloride; D002351:Carrageenan; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1; D015232:Dinoprostone; C478086:23,24-dihydrocucurbitacin B