A ação tocolítica do óleo essencial de rollinia leptopetala r. E. Fries envolve a modulação positiva dos canais de potássio em útero isolado de rata

Abstract

Rollinia leptopetala R. E. Fries species, popularly known as “pinha-brava”, “bananinha” and “pereiro”, and traditionally cited as digestive. From R. leptopetala leaves was extracted an essential oil (RL-OE) that showed tocolytic effect in carbachol- (CCh) and oxytocin-induced phasic contractions on rat uterus. Thus, we aimed characterize the mechanism of tocolytic action of RL-OE using by functional techniques. Since the mechanisms to induce the phasic contractions are distinct from the tonic ones, we decided to evaluate whether RL-OE would relax rat uterus pre-contracted with KCl or oxytocin. The essential oil relaxed pre-contracted with 60 mM KCl (EC50 = 22.4 ± 2.4 μg/mL) or 10-2 UI/mL oxytocin (EC50 = 4.1 ± 0.4 μg/mL). After, it was hypothesized that RL-OE would antagonize oxytocin receptors, and this hypothesis was confirmed since cumulative concentration-response curves to oxytocin were inhibited, shifted to the right, in a non-parallel manner and with Emax reduction, discarding a competitive antagonism. The participation of adrenergic receptors was also evaluated. For this, phentolamine (an antagonist of α-receptors) was used, but none change in RL-OE tocolytic potency was observed, being discarded the involvement of this receptor. Additionally, propranolol (an antagonist of β-receptors) was used and the relaxation curve induced by RL-OE, in the blocker presence, was shifted to the left, with potentiation of oil effect and rejecting the hypothesis of β-receptors activation. Other pathways that modulate the myometrium contractility are nitric oxide (NO) and Cyclooxygenase (COX) pathways. The involvement of them in tocolytic mechanism of RL-OE was investigated using L-NAME and indomethacin, inhibitors of NO and COX pathways, respectively. However, RL-OE effect was not altered in the presence of inhibitors, discarding their contribution. The participation of K+ channels was developed using non-selective and selective blockers of them. The tocolytic potency of RL-OE (EC50 = 4.1 ± 0.4 μg/mL) was reduced 2.2 fold in the presence of 5 mM CsCl (EC50 = 8.9 ± 1.1 μg/mL), a non-specific blocker K+ channels, indicating participation of these channels. To investigate which subtypes of K+ channels would be involved selective K+ channels blockers were used. In the presence of 1 mM TEA+, blocker of large conductance calcium-activated K+ channels (BKCa), apamin, blocker of small conductance calcium-activated K+ channels (SKCa) and glibenclamide, blocker of ATP-sensitive potassium channel (KATP) did not changed the tocolytic action of RL-OE, showing that BKCa, SKCa and KATP are not involved. Interestingly, the relaxation curve induced by RL-OE was shifted to the right in the presence of 4- aminopyridine, blocker of voltage-gated K+ channels (KV), with reduction of RL-OE potency (EC50 = 10 ± 0.6 μg/mL), indicating KV participation in the mechanism of tocolytic action of RL-OE on rat uterus. Therefore, the tocolytic mechanism of RL-OE involves the positive modulation the K+ channels, in special KV subtypes, that indirectly blockade of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (CaV) leading to uterine smooth muscle relaxation.