THE AQUEOUS EXTRACT OF RHIZOMES OF AN ARGENTINIAN MEDICINAL PLANT (SMILAX CAMPESTRIS) DECREASES PROINFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES PRODUCTION IN HUMAN LPS-ACTIVATED MACROPHAGES.

LUCIANA SALAVERRY; CECILIA PARRADO; FRANCO MANGONE; ANA RUGNA; GUILLERMO BLANCO; TERESA GENTILE; ANDREA CANELLADA; ESTELA REY-ROLDAN

Mar del Plata

Congreso; LXIV Reunion anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Inmunologia (SAI); 2016

Sociedad Argentina de Inmunologia (SAI)

Folk medicine has used different plant extracts for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Smilax campestris (S.campestris) or ?sarsaparilla? is a medicinal plant wildly distributedin northern Argentina. Previously we showed an antiinflammatoryeffect of aqueous extract of rhizomes of S. campestris onmetalloproteinase-9 activity (MMP-9), an enzyme involved in theextracellular matrix remodeling process. S. campestris significantlydecreased the activity of MMP-9 in LPS-activated macrophagecells. In the current study, we evaluated the effect of this extracton proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1beta, IL-6), the chemokine IL-8levels (ELISA) and cytotoxicity (lactate dehydrogenase releaseassay, LDH) in human monocyte-macrophage cells, THP-1. Cellswere stimulated under two conditions: the absence (basal state) orpresence (activated state) of the inflammatory stimulus, lipopolysaccharide(LPS). Cells were incubated with different concentrationsof S. campestris extract for 24/48 hs (10, 100, 1000, 10.000ng of tannic acid/ml extract); LPS-activated macrophage cells wereaditionally incubated with LPS (1 ug/ml) to induce an inflammatorycontext. The aqueous extract of rhizomes of S. campestris did not alter IL-1beta, IL-6 and IL-8 levels in basal conditions (absenceof LPS). But interestingly, the extract significantly decreased allcytokines meassured levels in human activated macrophagecells (p <0.01), returning to basal levels. In these experimentalconditions, the extract did not show a cytotoxic effect. In conclusion,we suggest an anti-inflammatory effect of aqueous extractof rhizomes of S. campestris, by the inhibition of proinflammatorycytokines, in human LPS activated macrophage cells. Our resultsprovide evidence for the use of S. campestris aqueous extract asa therapeutic agent against several inflammatory diseases.