Assessment of the effect of Punica granatum (pomegranata) on the bioavailability of the radiopharmaceutical sodium pertechnetate (99mTc) in Wistar rats
Amorim, L.F.; Catanho, M.T.J.A.; Terra, D.A.; Brandão, K.C.; Holanda, C.M.C.X.; Jales-Júnior, L.H.; Brito, L.M.L.; Gomes, M.L.; De Melo, V.G.B.; Bernardo-Filho, M.; Cavalcanti Jales, R.L.
Cellular and Molecular Biology 49(4): 501-507
2003
ISSN/ISBN: 0145-5680 PMID: 12899440 Document Number: 555860
The many desirable characteristics of technetium-99m (99mTc) have stimulated the development of labelling techniques for different molecular and cellular structures. It is generally accepted that a variety of factors other than disease can alter the bioavailability of radiopharmaceuticals and one such factor is the drug therapy. The use of medicinal plants has increased in the last decades all over the world. P. granatum (pomegranata) is used as food or as medication in folk medicine for antiviral, anthelmintic, antifungal, antibacterial and antimicrobial activity. We have studied in rats, the effect of P. granatum on the bioavailability of the radiopharmaceutical 99mTc-sodium pertechnetate (Na99mTcO4). The infusion of pomegranata was administered into Wistar rats by intragastric route for seven days. After that, the animals received, by ocular plexus route, 0.1 ml of the Na99mTcO4 (3.7 MBq) and the animals were rapidly sacrificed after 5, 20 and 40 minutes. The organs (brain, heart, thyroid, liver, lungs, kidneys, stomach, testis, intestines, pancreas, spleen, bladder, muscle and bone) were isolated, the radioactivity determined in a well counter, the percentages of radioactivity (%ATI) in the organs were calculated and statistical analyses were performed by Wilcoxon test (P<0.05). The results showed a significant (P<0.05) increase of the activity of the Na99mTcO4 in spleen, heart, stomach, liver, stout bowel, pancreas, lungs and testis at 5 minutes. Twenty minutes after the administration of the radiopharmaceutical, a significant (P<0.05) increase of the %ATI in heart, stomach, femur, pancreas, lungs and kidneys was observed. Forty minutes after the administration of the Na99mTcO4, the results show a significant (P<0.05) increase in spleen, brain, heart, stomach, liver, stout bowel, muscle, femur, lungs, pancreas, kidneys and testis. The results can be justified by therapeutic effect of this extract and/or by generation of active metabolites capable to interfere with the biodistribution of the studied radiopharmaceutical.