Influência da citroterapia na produção de prostaglandinas e citocinas por mulheres durante a menstruação

Abstract

Imbalances in the production of prostaglandins (PGs) secreted during menstrual cycles, especially F2α and E2, have been associated with the occurrence of dysmenorrhea and excessive uterine bleeding. Depending on the magnitude of these dysfunctions, the use of non-hormonal anti-inflammatories continues to be indicated to block the synthesis of PGs and to control the clinical outcome. However, since this type of therapeutic option produces side effects that may restrict its use for long periods, the use of herbal products has been proposed as an alternative treatment. Studies and reports have shown that Tahitian lemon (Citrus latifolia) acts controlling the menorrhagia and dysmenorrhea. Although the forms of action are not known, the inhibition of the cascade of arachidonic acid production is one of the possibilities that deserve to be investigated. Thus, to contribute to the elucidation of the mechanisms of action, we propose to study the effect of Tahitian lemon juice on the production of PGs and cytokines involved in the synthesis pathways of PGs in healthy women during menstruation. To that aim, normal volunteers during the menacing period were randomly divided into three groups and treated for two consecutive days from the beginning of menstruation, with Lemon (G1, n = 15), Meloxicam (G2, n = 14) and compared with a Control group (G3, n = 13) formed by volunteers who did not undergo any type of intervention. On the second day of menstruation, menstrual and peripheral blood samples were collected for the determination of PGE2, PGF2α, IL-1β, TNFα and IL-6 in order to analyze the uterine and systemic effects of cytotherapy. In addition, cells from whole blood were cultured, whether or not stimulated with LPS, to evaluate the effects of Tahitian lemon on the production of PGs (PGF2α and PGE2), and the in vitro inflammatory response (IL-1β, IL- 6, TNF-α). The results showed a higher concentration of PGF2α in the menstrual blood of the Tahitian lemon group and a lower concentration of PGE2 and PGF2α in the Meloxicam group. Regarding the inflammatory cytokines, it was observed that only the concentration of TNFα in menstrual blood was lower in the Lemon group. However, in the supernatant of the cell culture, the Tahitian lemon was able to induce the higher production of TNFα by the cells supplemented by the patient's own serum and treated with LPS for 24 hours. Conclusion: Tahitian lemon appears to act in the cascade of production of the PGF2α from uterus, that may favor events associated with vascular contraction, in a distinct way in relation to Meloxicam activity.