Inhibition of Carrageenan-Induced Acute Inflammation in Mice by the Microgramma vacciniifolia Frond Lectin (MvFL)

• Published in: Polymers Vol. 14; no. 8; p. 1609
• Main Authors: de Siqueira Patriota, Leydianne Leite, de Brito Marques Ramos, Dalila, E Silva, Mariana Gama, Dos Santos, Angela Caroline Lima Amorim, Silva, Yasmym Araújo, Paiva, Patrícia Maria Guedes, Pontual, Emmanuel Viana, de Albuquerque, Lidiane Pereira, Mendes, Rosemairy Luciane, Napoleão, Thiago Henrique
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 15.04.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Anti-inflammatory agents; Carbohydrates; Carrageenan; Cytokines; Edema; Evaluation; Immune system; In vivo methods and tests; Inflammation; Laboratory animals; Lectins; Leukocytes; Microgramma vacciniifolia; Nitric oxide; Peritonitis; plant lectin; Proteins; Seeds; Signal transduction; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Brazil; Microgramma vacciniifolia; anti-inflammatory agents; cytokines; plant lectin; carrageenan; inflammation
• ISSN: 2073-4360; 2073-4360
• DOI: 10.3390/polym14081609

Most anti-inflammatory drugs used nowadays have an excessive cost and their prolonged use has been connected with several injurious effects. Thus, the search for new anti-inflammatory agents is increasing. Lectins are carbohydrate-interacting proteins that can modulate immune response and the release of inflammation mediators. The frond lectin (MvFL) was previously reported to be an immunomodulatory agent in vitro. This work aimed to evaluate the effects of MvFL on the in vivo inflammatory status in the carrageenan-induced peritonitis and paw edema, using female Swiss mice. The animals were pretreated intraperitoneally with MvFL (5 and 10 mg/kg). In the peritonitis assay, the total and differential migration of white blood cells was evaluated, as well as the levels of cytokines, nitric oxide (NO), and total proteins in the peritoneal fluid. In the paw edema evaluation, the paw volume was measured in the early (from 30 min-2 h) and late (3-4 h) phases of edema formation. MvFL (5 and 10 mg/kg) was efficient in reducing neutrophil infiltration, pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-17, and TNF-α), NO, and protein content in the peritoneal fluid. It also repressed the edema formation in the late phase of the assay. In conclusion, MvFL showed inhibitory effects in in vivo acute inflammation, which encouraged future studies exploiting its immunomodulatory ability.