A lectin from the green seaweed Caulerpa cupressoides reduces mechanical hyper-nociception and inflammation in the rat temporomandibular joint during zymosan-induced arthritis.
Seaweed lectins have been widely investigated as anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory agents. This study analyzed the anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory responses of a lectin from the green seaweed Caulerpa cupressoides (CcL) on zymosan-induced arthritis of the rat temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Rats received i.v. CcL 30 min prior to injection of zymosan (2mg/art.) or 0.9% saline into the left TMJ. Mechanical hyper-nociception was measured by the electronic von Frey method at baseline and 4h after zymosan injection. Animals were euthanized 6h after zymosan injection and the synovial fluid was collected for leukocyte counting and myeloperoxidase activity assessment. Other animals were treated with ZnPP-IX (3mg/kg; s.c.), a specific heme oxygenase-1 pathway inhibitor, and naloxone (10 μg/art.), a nonselective opioid receptor antagonist. TMJ tissues were excised to perform histopathological and immunohistochemistry analyses. CcL (0.1, 1 or 10mg/kg) significantly reduced zymosan-induced hyper-nociception (81, 83 and 89.5%, respectively) and inhibited the leukocyte influx (77.3, 80.7 and 98.5%, respectively) compared with the zymosan-only group, as confirmed by myeloperoxidase activity; however, treatment with naloxone or ZnPP-IX did not revert the effects of CcL (10mg/kg), suggesting that the naloxone-sensitive opioid and heme oxygenase-1 pathways are not involved. CcL also reduced the leukocyte influx and the expression of IL-1β and TNF-α in the TMJ, based on histopathological and immunohistochemistry analyses, respectively. Therefore, CcL reduces TMJ hyper-nociception and inflammation with a mechanism that is partially dependent on TNF-α and IL-1β inhibition. CcL reveals a potentially valuable alternative tool for future studies of TMJ disorders.
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
Renata Line
RL
da Conceição Rivanor
Faculty of Dentistry, Federal University of Ceará, Sobral, Ceará, Brazil.
Hellíada Vasconcelos
HV
Chaves
Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Sobral, Ceará, Brazil.
Danielle Rocha
DR
do Val
Faculty of Dentistry, Federal University of Ceará, Sobral, Ceará, Brazil.
Alice Ramos
AR
de Freitas
Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Sobral, Ceará, Brazil.
Jonas Cavalcante
JC
Lemos
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
José Ariévilo Gurgel
JA
Rodrigues
Faculty of Dentistry, Federal University of Ceará, Sobral, Ceará, Brazil.
Karuza Maria Alves
KM
Pereira
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
Ianna Wivianne Fernandes
IW
de Araújo
Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Sobral, Ceará, Brazil.
Mirna Marques
MM
Bezerra
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. Electronic address: nmbb@ufc.br.
Norma Maria Barros
NM
Benevides
D061605:Administration, Intravenous; D000818:Animals; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D046068:Caulerpa / Q000276:immunology*; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D007249:Inflammation / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000378:metabolism; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D059225:Nociception / Q000187:drug effects; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D037121:Plant Lectins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D013704:Temporomandibular Joint / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D015054:Zymosan / Q000008:administration & dosage
D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D037121:Plant Lectins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015054:Zymosan; D009195:Peroxidase
Hemagglutinin; Inflammatory arthropathies; Marine alga; Mechanical hyper-nociception