Involvement of the l-arginine-nitric oxide pathway in the antinociception caused by fruits of Prosopis strombulifera (Lam.) Benth.

BUSTOS, PAMELA SOLEDAD #; SARAGUSTI, ALEJANDRA #; PIEROSAN, LUANA; CABRERA, JOSÉ LUIS; CHIABRANDO, GUSTAVO; SANTOS, ADAIR ROBERTO SOARES; ORTEGA, MARÍA GABRIELA; # THESE AUTORS CONTRIBUTE EQUALLY TO THIS PUBLICATION

JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY

ELSEVIER IRELAND LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2012 vol. 140 p. 117 - 122

0378-8741

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Prosopis strombulifera (Lam.) Benth. is a rhizomatous shrub that grows in north and central zone of Argentina. In folk medicine, the fruits of this plant have been used as astringent, anti-inflammatory, odontalgic agent and anti-diarrheic. Aim of the study: To investigate the antinociceptive effect of different extracts of P. strombulifera fruits and the involvement of the nitric oxide-L-arginine pathway in this effect.Materials and methods: The antinociceptive effects and the participation of the nitric oxide-L-arginine pathway of different extracts of P. strombulifera fruits were evaluated in vivo using formalin-induced pain test in mice, whereas the inhibitory effect of these extracts on the LPS-induced nitric oxide production and iNOS expression was investigated in vitro using JJ74 macrophage-derived cell lines.Results: The chloroformic extract (CE) caused significant inhibition of both neurogenic and inflammatory phases of formalin test. This antinociception caused by CE in the formalin test was significantly attenuated by the oral treatment with L-arginine. CE also produced a significant and concentration-dependent inhibition of LPS-induced nitric oxide production and iNOS expression in J774A.1 cells.Conclusions: CE of P. strombulifera fruits produced significant antinociception against both neurogenic and inflammatory phases of the mice formalin model, suggesting that the nitric oxide-L-arginine pathway is involved in the analgesic effect. These results seem to indicate that the inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis is involved in the antinociception exerted by CE of P. strombulifera fruits, supporting in part the ethnomedical use of this plant.