Confirming its popular use, the treatment with Campomanesia xanthocarpa encapsulated reduced blood TC and LDL levels in hypercholesterolemic patients.

No abstract

In a previous work based on popular belief, Campomanesia xanthocarpa Berg., popularly known as “guavirova”, showed to have a potential effect in the control of a number of conditions associated with cardiovascular diseases. The aim of the present work was to investigate the effects of C. xanthocarpa extract (CXE) on antiplatelet, antithrombotic and fibrinolytic activities in mice and in human blood. Mice were treated orally for 5 days with CXE or acetylsalicylic acid and at the end of the treatment period animals were challenged for bleeding, acute thromboembolism and ulcerogenic activity. In addition, we have assessed the prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) after oral administration. In in vitro assays, antiplatelet effects of CXE was evaluated on platelet aggregation, and fibrinolytic activity of the extract was observed by mice or human artificial blood clot degradation. Platelet citotoxicity of the extract was also determined by the LDH assay. Results demonstrated that CXE has a significant protective effect on thrombosis. It also inhibits platelet aggregation without demonstrating cytotoxicity on platelets. CXE slightly prolonged aPTT and showed no ulcerogenic activity after oral administration. In addition, CXE showed a fibrinolytic activity. Thus, C. xanthocarpa showed antiplatelet, antithrombotic and fibrinolytic activities in mice.

Polyamines (putrescine, spermidine and spermine) are important endogenous regulators of ion channels, such as vanilloid (TRPV1), glutamatergic (NMDA or AMPA/kainate) and acid-sensitive (ASIC) receptors. In the present study, we have investigated the possible nociceptive effect induced by polyamines and the mechanisms involved in this nociception in vivo. The subcutaneous (s.c.) injection of capsaicin (as positive control), spermine, spermidine or putrescine produced nociception with ED(50) of 0.16 (0.07-0.39)nmol/paw, 0.4 (0.2-0.7) μmol/paw, 0.3 (0.1-0.9) μmol/paw and 3.2 (0.9-11.5) μmol/paw, respectively. The antagonists of NMDA (MK801, 1 nmol/paw), AMPA/kainate (DNQX, 1 nmol/paw) or ASIC receptors (amiloride, 100 nmol/paw) failed to reduce the spermine-trigged nociception. However, the TRPV1 antagonists capsazepine or SB366791 (1 nmol/paw) reduced spermine-induced nociception, with inhibition of 81 ± 10 and 68 ± 9%, respectively. The previous desensitization with resiniferatoxin (RTX) largely reduced the spermine-induced nociception and TRPV1 expression in the sciatic nerve, with reductions of 82 ± 9% and 67 ± 11%, respectively. Furthermore, the combination of spermine (100 nmol/paw) and RTX (0.005 fmol/paw), in doses which alone were not capable of inducing nociception, produced nociceptive behaviors. Moreover, different concentrations of spermine (3-300 μM) enhanced the specific binding of [(3)H]-RTX to TRPV1 receptor. Altogether, polyamines produce spontaneous nociceptive effect through the stimulation of TRPV1, but not of ionotropic glutamate or ASIC receptors.