Alpha-pinene reduces in vitro and in vivo leukocyte migration during acute inflammation

Alpha-pinene (PIN) is a monoterpene derived from essential oils of plants. Some biological activities are associated with PIN, such as antibacterial, antihypernociceptive, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. This study was performed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of PIN on the leukocyte behavior through in vivo and in vitro leukocyte migration. In the cell viability assay, PIN (3, 10, 30, 90 μg/mL) showed low cytotoxicity and in the acute toxicity in mice, no deaths or other signs of toxicity were observed at doses up to 3 g/kg (orally). In vitro chemotaxis revealed that PIN (1, 3, 10, 30 μg/mL) promoted a significant reduction of neutrophil migration in response to fMLP and LTB4 stimulation. In the carrageenan-induced peritonitis assay, PIN, at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg, decreased the infiltration of peritoneal exudate leukocytes and of polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Additionally, PIN pretreatment resulted in a significant decrease in the number of rolling (200, 400 mg/kg) and adherent leukocytes (200, 400 mg/kg) to the perivascular tissue. In conclusion, PIN has a significant inhibitory effect on leukocyte migration, an important step in inflammatory response. PIN may be considered as a potential agent for treatment inflammatory process with excessive leukocyte migration, however, further studies are necessary to confirm this possibility. Industrial relevance. The PIN is a secondary metabolite, belongs to the class of monoterpene. It is an important natural product, used in flavorings, fragrances, in the pulp and paper industry, and pharmaceutical industry. The investigation of the anti-inflammatory activity of this compound may be useful to the development of new drug anti-inflammatory, since it acts on the cell migration and can be a promising substance for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.