A Ciclosporina A (CsA) é uma droga imunossupressora amplamente utilizada que está associada a diversos efeitos colaterais, dentre eles hepatotoxicidade. Heteropterys tomentosaé uma planta brasileira eficiente na redução dos danos causados pela CsA nos testículos e próstata de ratos. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o efeito da CsA e H. tomentosa(administrados isolada ou simultaneamente) no fígado de ratos Wistar. Os animais foram tratados diariamente com água (controle), CsA (15mg/kg/dia), infusão de H. tomentosa ou CsA+H. tomentosa, por 21 ou 56 dias. Os tratamentos não alteraram a morfologia do fígado nem causaram fibrose. A administração de H. tomentosapor 21 dias aumentou o número de núcleos de hepatócitos e proporção volumétrica de células de Kupffer. Após 56 dias de tratamento, a administração de H. tomentosanão alterou os parâmetros analisados. As dosagens bioquímicas plasmáticas e a estereologia do fígado revelaram danos causados pelo tratamento com CsA por 21 dias; estes resultados não foram observados após 56 dias de tratamento. O tratamento simultâneo com CsA e H. tomentosapor 21 e 56 dias não atenuou ou acentuou os efeitos hepáticos da CsA. O presente estudo revelou que o tratamento com a CsA por 21 dias causou mais alterações ao fígado que o tratamento durante 56 dias; isso pode estar relacionado a recuperação hepática após o tratamento a longo prazo.

Cyclosporin A (CsA) is a widely employed immunosuppressive drug that is associated with several side effects, among then hepatotoxicity. Heteropterys tomentosais a Brazilian plant efficient in reducing damage caused by CsA on the rat testis and prostate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of CsA and H. tomentosa(administered isolated or simultaneously) on the liver of Wistar rats. The animals were treated daily with water (control), CsA (15mg/kg/day), H. tomentosainfusion or CsA+H. tomentosa, for 21 or 56 days. The treatments did not alter liver morphology or cause fibrosis. H. tomentosaadministered for 21 days increased the number of hepatocyte nuclei and Kupffer cell volumetric proportion. After 56 days of treatment, H. tomentosaadministration did not alter the parameters analyzed. Biochemical plasma dosages and liver stereology showed impairment caused by CsA-treatment after 21 days; these results were not observed after 56 days of treatment. The simultaneous treatment with CsA and H. tomentosafor 21 or 56 days did not alleviate nor accentuate CsA hepatic effects. The present study showed that the 21 days treatment with CsA caused more alteration to the liver than the 56 days treatment; this could be related to hepatic recovery after the long term treatment.

The species Heteropterys aphrodisiaca is commonly used as a stimulant by popular medicine in the Cerrado, a savanna-like biome, Brazil. Recent studies have proved its protective effects on testes of animals submitted to treatment using Cyclosporine A, as well as its stimulus effect in increasing testosterone secretion. Therefore, the present study was designed to analyze whether the association of the plant infusion and endurance exercise could potentiate the stimulating effect. The animals were separated into 4 groups: two control (sedentary and trained) receiving water and two treated (sedentary and trained) receiving the plant infusion daily (104mg/day). The proportion of the seminiferous tubule compartment and interstitium was analyzed. Within the seminiferous epithelium, the number of Sertoli and germ cells were counted in order to evaluate whether the treatment would alter the spermatogenic dynamics, analyzing: the spermatogenic yield, the mitotic and meiotic indexes, the total number of germ cells and the Sertoli cell support capacity. Trained and treated animals showed increased spermatogenic yield and spermatogonia mitosis, and no significant differences in apoptotic indexes. Despite the results showing the same pattern regarding yield and mitotic index, the meiotic index was higher in the sedentary/treated group. Therefore, the H. aphrodisiaca infusion increased both the testosterone production and the spermatogonia mitosis, thus increasing the spermatogenic yield.

O medicamento fitoterápico brasileiro - BPF é composto de corantes das plantas Eucalyptus globulus Labill, Peltodon radicans Pohl e Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi em alcool a 13,3° GL. Este medicamento é popularmente usado no estado da Paraíba, Brasil desde 1889 como anti-séptico e antiinflamatório. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a propriedade antiinflamatória deste medicamento fitoterápico. Para tal, foram utilizadas as técnicas de edema de orelha em camundongos induzido por 12-O-tetradecanoilforbol 13-acetato (TPA) ou capsaicina e o edema de pata de rato induzido por carragenina. O BPF na dose de 26 mL/kg inibiu tanto edema de orelha induzido por TPA como por capsaicina a 49% (p < 0.05) e 24% (p < 0.01) respectivamente. Estudos preliminares utilizando a técnica de edema de pata induzido por carragenina demonstraram que a administração oral também inibiu o edema de pata em aproximadamente 29%. Os resultados demonstraram que o medicamento fitoterápico brasileiro (BPF) apresentou propriedades antiinflamatórias e a melhor dose foi aquela que é usada pela população.

The Brazilian polyherbal formulation (BPF) is composed by dyes of Eucalyptus globulus Labill, Peltodon radicans Pohl and Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi in alcohol at 13.3° GL. The formulation is popularly used in Paraíba state, Brazil since 1889 and it is used as an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory medicine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory property of the polyherbal formulation. For this purpose it was used the12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) and capsaicin-induced mouse ear edema and the carrageenan-induced rat paw edema. The BPF at dose of 26 mL/Kg inhibited both 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) and capsaicin-induced ear edema by 49% (p < 0.05) and 24% (p < 0.01) respectively. Preliminary results on carrageenan-induced rat paw edema demonstrated that oral administration also inhibited the paw edema by approximately 29%. The results demonstrate that the Brazilian polyherbal formulation has anti-inflammatory activity and the better dose was the one used by the population.