The present study examined the antinociceptive effect of the ethanolic extract from Melissa officinalis L. and of the rosmarinic acid in chemical behavioral models of nociception and investigates some of the mechanisms underlying this effect. The extract (3-1000 mg/kg), given orally (p.o.) 1 h prior to testing, produced dose-dependent inhibition of acetic acid-induced visceral pain, with ID50 value of 241.9 mg/kg. In the formalin test, the extract (30-1000 mg/kg, p.o.) also caused significant inhibition of both, the early (neurogenic pain) and the late (inflammatory pain), phases of formalin-induced licking. The extract (10-1000 mg/kg, p.o.) also caused significant and dose-dependent inhibition of glutamate-induced pain, with ID50 value of 198.5 mg/kg. Furthermore, the rosmarinic acid (0.3-3 mg/kg), given p.o. 1 h prior, produced dose-related inhibition of glutamate-induced pain, with ID50 value of 2.64 mg/kg. The antinociception caused by the extract (100 mg/kg, p.o.) in the glutamate test was significantly attenuated by intraperitoneal (i.p.) treatment of mice with atropine (1 mg/kg), mecamylamine (2 mg/kg) or l-arginine (40 mg/kg). In contrast, the extract (100 mg/kg, p.o.) antinociception was not affected by i.p. treatment with naloxone (1 mg/kg) or D-arginine (40 mg/kg). It was also not associated with non-specific effects, such as muscle relaxation or sedation. Collectively, the present results suggest that the extract produced dose-related antinociception in several models of chemical pain through mechanisms that involved cholinergic systems (i.e. through muscarinic and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors) and the L-arginine-nitric oxide pathway. In addition, the rosmarinic acid contained in this plant appears to contribute for the antinociceptive property of the extract. Moreover, the antinociceptive action demonstrated in the present study supports, at least partly, the ethnomedical uses of this plant.

Altogether, our data confirm the antinociceptive effect of TTHL and demonstrate its effect in inflammatory animal models, providing novel data about this compound, which could be useful as an anti-inflammatory drug.

The present study investigated the mechanisms involved in the antinociception produced by the triterpene 3β, 6β, 16β-trihydroxylup-20(29)-ene (TTHL) in mice. TTHL administered by intra-gastric (i.g.) gavage inhibited glutamate-induced nociception with an ID(50) of 19.0 (13.2-27.5) mg/kg. This action started 60 min (inhibition of: 59±6%) after i.g. administration and remained significant up to 6h (inhibition of 37±6%). Moreover, TTHL inhibited both phases of formalin induced pain. The antinociception of TTHL was reversed by the pre-administration of naloxone (1mg/kg; non-selective opioid receptor antagonist), CTOP (1mg/kg; selective μ-opioid receptor antagonist), nor-binaltorphimine (1mg/kg; selective κ-opioid receptor antagonist), naltrindol (3mg/kg; selective δ-opioid receptor antagonist), p-chlorophenylalanine methyl ester (100mg/kg for 4 consecutive days; inhibitor of serotonin synthesis), WAY100635 (0.5mg/kg; selective 5-HT(1A) receptor antagonist) and ketanserin (0.3mg/kg; selective 5-HT(2A) receptor antagonist) but not by L-arginine (600 mg/kg; nitric oxide precursor) or ondansetron (0.5mg/kg; 5-HT(3) receptor antagonist). Furthermore, the TTHL antinociception was prevented by intrathecal (i.t.) pre-treatment with pertussis toxin (0.5 μg/site; inactivator of G(i/o) protein), charybdotoxin (250 pg/site; blocker of large-conductance calcium-gated K(+) channels), tetraethylammonium (1 μg/site; blocker of voltage-gated K(+) channels) and glibenclamide (80 μg/site; blocker of ATP-gated K(+) channels) but not by apamin (50 ng/site; blocker of small-conductance calcium-gated K(+) channels). The antinociception of TTHL was not it associated with locomotor impairment or sedation. These results showed that TTHL presented a pronounced antinociceptive effect, which is dependent on opioid and serotonergic systems, G(i/o) protein activation and the opening of specific K(+) channels.

Aerobic exercise (AE) reduces lung function decline and risk of exacerbations in asthmatic patients. However, the inflammatory lung response involved in exercise during the sensitization remains unclear. Therefore, we evaluated the effects of exercise for 2 weeks in an experimental model of sensitization and single ovalbumin-challenge. Mice were divided into 4 groups: mice non-sensitized and not submitted to exercise (Sedentary, n=10); mice non-sensitized and submitted to exercise (Exercise, n=10); mice sensitized and exposed to ovalbumin (OVA, n=10); and mice sensitized, submitted to exercise and exposed to OVA (OVA+Exercise, n=10). 24 h after the OVA/saline exposure, we counted inflammatory cells from bronchoalveolar fluid (BALF), lung levels of total IgE, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10 and IL-1ra, measurements of OVA-specific IgG1 and IgE, and VEGF and NOS-2 expression via western blotting. AE reduced cell counts from BALF in the OVA group (p<0.05), total IgE, IL-4 and IL-5 lung levels and OVA-specific IgE and IgG1 titers (p<0.05). There was an increase of NOS-2 expression, IL-10 and IL-1ra lung levels in the OVA groups (p<0.05). Our results showed that AE attenuated the acute lung inflammation, suggesting immunomodulatory properties on the sensitization process in the early phases of antigen presentation in asthma.