Chenopodium ambrosioides L. Improves Phagocytic Activity and Decreases Bacterial Growth and the Systemic Inflammatory Response in Sepsis Induced by Cecal Ligation and Puncture

Carlos E P Rios,Márcia C G Maciel,Flávia M M Amaral,Flávia R F Nascimento,Afonso G Abreu,Jose A F Braga Filho,Rosane N M Guerra,Johnny R Nascimento

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2017.00148

Abstract

Chenopodium ambrosioides L. (Amaranthaceae) is often used in different kinds of vegetal preparations for medicinal purposes in many clinical situations. Some studies have demonstrated its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of prophylactic treatment with the hydroalcoholic crude extract (HCE) of C. ambrosioides and its hexanic fraction (HEX) on the control of bacterial growth, the activation of phagocytes and the control of the systemic inflammatory response in a sepsis experimental model. Animals were divided into three groups (n = 5/group): Control, which received only NaCl 0.9% solution; HCE, which received the crude extract; and HEX, which received the HEX of the extract. The animals received saline, HCE or HEX (5 mg/kg), subcutaneously (SC), 6 h before cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Twelve hours after the CLP, the blood was collected to measure the serum cytokines and the animals were killed for the evaluation of colony-forming units (CFUs), cellular influx, and activation of phagocytes in the peritoneal cavity, measured by the secretion of hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide production. The results showed that only HEX treatment inhibited bacterial growth in the peritoneum and inflammatory cellular influx, especially influx of macrophages and neutrophils. However, HCE and HEX treatments increased ex vivo hydrogen peroxide secretion and nitric oxide production by phagocytes and decreased the pro-inflammatory cytokines in the serum, indicating a systemic anti-inflammatory effect of both. In conclusion, C. ambrosioides treatment decreases bacterial growth likely by activation of phagocytes and, in parallel, ameliorates the general state of mice by reducing the systemic inflammatory response usually observed in sepsis.

Highlights

Chenopodium ambrosioides L. (Amaranthaceae) is considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the species of plants frequently used for medicinal purposes in the world
Prophylactic Treatment with hexanic fraction (HEX) Decreases the Number of colony-forming units (CFUs) in the Peritoneal Cavity Fluid
The influx of inflammatory cells to the focus of the infection is crucial for the initial control of an infection, we observed here that the bacterial control does not necessarily seem to be related to the total number of cells in the peritoneal cavity since hydroalcoholic crude extract (HCE) and HEX induced divergent effects on inflammatory cell influx

Summary

Introduction

Chenopodium ambrosioides L. (Amaranthaceae) is considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the species of plants frequently used for medicinal purposes in the world. C. ambrosioides is frequently used as a diuretic and antiinflammatory and healing agent (Kumar et al, 2007). Some studies have demonstrated that C. ambrosioides has an immunostimulatory effect on lymphocytes (RossiBergmann et al, 1997), and our group showed that this species induces activation of macrophages (Cruz et al, 2007). Macrophages and neutrophils are crucial for controlling bacterial infections. These key cells migrate quickly to the infection site, recognize, phagocytose and destroy the microorganisms and release microbicidal agents, such as hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide (Maciel et al, 2008). Neutrophils synthesize several cytokines and chemokines responsible for recruiting and regulating the response of other cells at the lesion site. If the ability of the host is compromised or if the injury persists, the reaction that was initially contained becomes excessive and, sometimes, systemic, causing damage to the body (Benjamim et al, 2000)

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