Cyclin-dependent kinase expression (Cdks 1, 2, 4 e 6) in pancreatic islets of NOD mice (non-obese diabetic) treated with Passiflora alata leaves aqueous extract

The search for new medicinal drugs from plants has motivated the search for alternative potential anti-inflammatory substances that may assist in the treatment of inflammatory diseases, such as type 1 diabetes mellitus. As a tool to study these substances that modulate inflammation, is common to use animals with a propensity to develop the disease, such as NOD mice (non-obese diabetic). Among the constituents of Passiflora alata Curtis leaves, known popularly as sweet passion fruit, flavonoids are compounds that can act as antioxidants and anti-proliferative, which can modulate the expression of cell cycle regulatory substances promoting in this way, the cell cycle arrest in proliferating cells. As a result, we have obtained in the treated group with P. alata leaves aqueous extract, reduction in the incidence of diabetes, increased expression of insulin and decreased inflammatory infiltrate, oxidative stress and CDK6+ cells in pancreatic islets. As in this animal model the marking of CDK6 is present in the inflammatory infiltrate, the decreased expression of this protein in the treated group suggests that components in the leaves of P. alata may act on cell cycle inhibition of activated inflammatory cells promoting anti-inflammatory effect and reduction in the incidence of type 1 diabetes. Since the anti-inflammatory effects and consequent preservation of beta cells, the study intend to investing in the development of new drugs with the potential to interfere with the course of the disease, acting as a support in the treatment of autoimmune diabetes (AU)