title: Morinda citrifolia Linn. fruit (Noni) juice induces an increase in NO production and death of Leishmania amazonensis amastigotes in peritoneal macrophages from BALB/c.
abstract: Leishmaniasis is a complex disease that is considered a serious public health problem. Due to the absence of an effective vaccine and debilitating chemotherapy better therapies are urgently needed. This situation has stimulated the search for alternative treatments such as the use of herbal medicines. Several studies conducted with Morinda citrifolia Linn. have shown various biological activities such as antitumor, immunomodulation and antileishmanial activity, however its mechanisms of action are still unknown. This study aimed to analyze the activity of M. citrifolia fruit juice against Leishmania amazonensis and its action on peritoneal macrophages from BALB/c infected with L. amazonensis. Activity against the promastigote forms showed IC50 at 275.3 μg/mL. Transmission electron microscopy was used to evaluate the ultrastructural alterations in the promastigotes treated with the juice and the results showed cytoplasmic vacuolization, lipid inclusion and increased activity of exocytosis. The juice treatment presented an IC50 at 208.4 μg/mL against intracellular amastigotes and led to an increased nitrite production in infected and non-infected macrophages. When macrophages were pre-treated with iNOS inhibitors, aminoguanidine or 1400W, the intracellular amastigotes increased, demonstrating the important role of NO production in M. citrifolia fruit activity. In conclusion, our results reveal that treatment with M. citrifolia fruit juice can increase NO production in peritoneal macrophages and this ability has an important role in the killing of L. amazonensis intracellular amastigotes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Imunomodulação e Protozoologia do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Departamento de Patologia, Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Almeida-Souza
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Imunomodulação e Protozoologia do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Celeste da Silva Freitas
authors.initials: Cda S
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.affiliation: Unidade de Microscopia Eletrônica, Instituto Adolf Lutz, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Noemi Nosomi
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Taniwaki
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola, Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil.
authors.forename: João José Mendes
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Patologia, Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil.
authors.forename: Renata Mondêgo
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Patologia, Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil. Electronic address: abreusilva.ana@uema.br.
authors.forename: Ana Lúcia
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Abreu-Silva
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Imunomodulação e Protozoologia do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Kátia da Silva
authors.initials: Kda S
authors.lastname: Calabrese
mesh_terms: D000578:Amidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001596:Benzylamines / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D000067030:Fruit and Vegetable Juices; D006146:Guanidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D007891:Leishmania / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000469:parasitology*; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D032066:Morinda / Q000737:chemistry*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000578:Amidines; D001596:Benzylamines; D006146:Guanidines; C104820:N-(3-(aminomethyl)benzyl)acetamidine; D028321:Plant Preparations; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D000666:Amphotericin B; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C004479:pimagedine
keywords: 1400W; Amino guanidine; Electron microscopy; Leishmaniasis; Macrophages; Morinda citrifolia; Nitric oxide; Noni