title: Evidence for the involvement of spinal cord-inhibitory and cytokines-modulatory mechanisms in the anti-hyperalgesic effect of hecogenin acetate, a steroidal sapogenin-acetylated, in mice.
abstract: Hecogenin is a steroidal sapogenin largely drawn from the plants of the genus Agave, commonly known as 'sisal', and is one of the important precursors used by the pharmaceutical industry for the synthesis of steroid hormones. Hecogenin acetate (HA) is a steroidal sapogenin-acetylated that produces antinociceptive activity. Thus, we evaluate the antihyperalgesic profile of HA in mice in inflammatory models, as well as its possible involvement with c-fos expression on spinal cord area and cytokines to produces analgesic profile. Acute pretreatment with HA (5, 10, or 20 mg/kg; i.p.) inhibited the development of mechanical hyperalgesia induced by carrageenan, TNF-α, dopamine and PGE2. Additionally, the immunofluorescence data demonstrated that acute pretreatment with HA, at all doses tested, significantly inhibited Fos-like expression in the spinal cord dorsal horn normally observed after carrageenan-inflammation. Moreover, HA did not affect the motor performance of the mice as tested in the Rota rod test. This antinociceptive profile seems to be related, at least in part, to a reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines, as IL-1β. The present results suggest that HA attenuates mechanical hyperalgesia by blocking the neural transmission of pain at the spinal cord levels and by cytokines-inhibitory mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiologia. Universidade Federal de Sergipe-UFS, Av. Marechal Rondom, s/n, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, CEP 49.000-100, Brazil. jullyanas@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Jullyana S S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Quintans
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiologia. Universidade Federal de Sergipe-UFS, Av. Marechal Rondom, s/n, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, CEP 49.000-100, Brazil. rosanasfisio@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Rosana S S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Barreto
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiologia. Universidade Federal de Sergipe-UFS, Av. Marechal Rondom, s/n, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, CEP 49.000-100, Brazil. wlucca1@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Waldecy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: de Lucca
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, CEP 40.170-115, Brazil. cfv@conveniado.bahia.fiocruz.br.
authors.forename: Cristiane F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Villarreal
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biotecnologia e Terapia Celular, Hospital São Rafael, Salvador, Bahia, CEP 41.253-190, Brazil. carlakenato@bahia.fiocruz.br.
authors.forename: Carla M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Kaneto
authors.affiliation: Centro de Biotecnologia e Terapia Celular, Hospital São Rafael, Salvador, Bahia, CEP 41.253-190, Brazil. milena@bahia.fiocruz.br.
authors.forename: Milena B P
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.affiliation: Colegiado de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Feira de Santana, Bahia, CEP 44.036-900, Brazil. branco@uefs.br.
authors.forename: Alexsandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Branco
authors.affiliation: Colegiado de Ciências Farmacêuticas. Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco, Petrolina, CEP 56.304-205, Pernambuco, Brazil. jackson.guedes@univasf.edu.br.
authors.forename: Jackson R G S
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.affiliation: Curso de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de São João Del-Rei, Campus Centro Oeste Dona Lindu, Divinópolis, Minas Gerais, CEP 35.501-296, Brazil. proftaranto@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Alex G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Taranto
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiologia. Universidade Federal de Sergipe-UFS, Av. Marechal Rondom, s/n, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, CEP 49.000-100, Brazil. aroberto@ufs.br.
authors.forename: Angelo R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Antoniolli
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, CEP 64.049-550, Brazil. rivelilson@pq.cnpq.br.
authors.forename: Rivelilson M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiologia. Universidade Federal de Sergipe-UFS, Av. Marechal Rondom, s/n, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, CEP 49.000-100, Brazil. lucindojr@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Lucindo J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Quintans
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002351:Carrageenan / Q000633:toxicity; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D006930:Hyperalgesia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects*; D013141:Spiro Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013256:Steroids / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D013141:Spiro Compounds; D013256:Steroids; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C505698:hecogenin acetate; D002351:Carrageenan