Planta Med 2006; 72(1): 34-39
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-873150
Original Paper
Pharmacology
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Attenuation of Visceral Nociception by α- and β-Amyrin, a Triterpenoid Mixture Isolated from the Resin of Protium heptaphyllum, in Mice

Roberto C. P. Lima-Júnior1 , Francisco A. Oliveira1 , Luilma A. Gurgel1 , Ítalo J. M. Cavalcante1 , Kelcyana A. Santos1 , Deive A. Campos1 , Cinthia A. L. Vale1 , Regilane M. Silva1 , Mariana H. Chaves2 , Vietla S. N. Rao1 , Flávia A. Santos1
  • 1Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
  • 2Department of Organic Chemistry, Federal University of Piaui, Teresina, PI, Brazil
Further Information

Publication History

Received: February 15, 2005

Accepted: June 20, 2005

Publication Date:
10 November 2005 (online)

Abstract

In the search for novel natural compounds effective against visceral nociception, the triterpenoid mixture α- and β-amyrin, isolated from Protium heptaphyllum resin, was assessed in two established mouse models of visceral nociception. Mice were pretreated orally with α- and β-amyrin (3, 10, 30, and 100 mg/kg) or vehicle, and the pain-related behavioral responses to intraperitoneal cyclophosphamide or to intracolonic mustard oil were analyzed. The triterpenoid mixture showed a dose-related significant antinociception against the cyclophosphamide-induced bladder pain, and at 100 mg/kg, the nociceptive behavioral expression was almost completely suppressed. Intracolonic mustard oil-induced nociceptive behaviors were maximally inhibited by 10 mg/kg α- and β-amyrin mixture in a naloxone-reversible manner. While pretreatment with ruthenium red (3 mg/kg, s. c.), a non-specific transient receptor potential cation channel V1 (TRPV1) antagonist, also caused significant inhibition, the α2-adrenoceptor antagonist, yohimbine (2 mg/kg, s. c.), showed no significant effect. The triterpene mixture (10 mg/kg, p. o.) neither altered significantly the pentobarbital sleeping time, nor impaired the ambulation or motor coordination in open-field and rotarod tests, respectively, indicating the absence of sedative or motor abnormalities that could account for its antinociception. These results indicate that the antinociceptive potential of α- and β-amyrin possibly involves the opioid and vanilloid (TRPV1) receptor mechanisms and further suggests that it could be useful to treat visceral pain of intestinal and pelvic origins.

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F. A. Santos

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