Evaluation of the immunomodulatory effect of Bougainvillea xbuttiana (Var. Orange) on the cytokine production induced by Botrhops jararaca venom in macrophages

Abstract

To study the effect of 50% ethanol extract of Bougainvillea xbuttiana on the enzymatic activity, cell viability and cytokine production provoked by the venom of Bothrops jararaca in macro-phages. Three assays were used to study the effects of B. xbuttiana extract on the damage pro-duced by B. jararaca: Enzymatic activity was detected by measuring the proteolytic and phos-pholipase A2; macrophages cytotoxicity was determined by the MTT method; levels of cytokine were evaluated using ELISA and a biological assay. After treatment with 300 µg/mL B. xbuttiana extract for 30 min, the proteolytic and phospholipase A2 activities of the venom were reduced to 95 and 61%, respectively. In macrophages cultures treated with B. xbuttiana extract combined with venom, the production of TNF-α, IL-6 and IFN-γ was reduced, whereas IL-10 was potenti-ated. Our results support the potential effect of the B. xbuttiana extract as a complementary therapy against the toxicity caused by the venom of B. jararaca snakes.