Estudo da atividade antiinflamatória e antinociceptiva da lectina isolada de sementes de Lonchocarpus sericeus (Poir.) Kunth

Abstract

Lectins are non-immune (glyco)proteins that can recognize and reversibly bind to carbohydrates or other substances derived from sugars. Lonchocarpus sericeus seeds (LSL) shows a molecular mass of 23555 ± 15 Da and a a-metyl glucopyranoside and N-acetyl-glucosamine binding specificity. The aim of this work was to evaluate the antinoceptive and antiinflammatory activity of lectin from Lonchocarpus sericeus seeds (LSL). To do so, we used swiss mice (25-35g). In the antiinflammatory activity studying, LSL (10 or 100 mg/kg; i.v.; 15 minutes) inhibited the migration (neutrophil rolling and adhesion) to the peritoneal cavities of animals stimulated with carrageenan (Cg), and the effect seems to be related to the cytokines (TNF-a and IL-1b) and chemokines (MIP-1a [CCL3], KC [CXCL1]) level reduction induced by this lectin. The LSL inhibitory effect on the neutrophil migration seems to be also related to the nitric oxide (NO) systemic levels increasing. LSL was effective on the NO increasing on animals’ serum. The pretreatment of mice using aminoguanidin (nitric oxide reduced synthase inhibitor) reversed the antiinflammatory effect of lectin on the neutrophil migration. Still referring to the anti-inflammatory activity, LSL was effective on inhibiting the neutrophil migration to the peritoneal cavities of animals immunized and stimulated with ovalbumin (OVA), but the lectin was unable to inhibit an in vitro neutrophil migration induced by MIP-2, showing an indirect action of LSL (cytokines and chemokines) on the migration inhibition. In the antinoceptive study, LSL (3 or 10 mg/kg; i.v.; 30 minutes) reduced abdominal contortion induced by acetic acid and only decreased the second phase of formalin test, showing an activity on the inflammatory pain. In the hot plate test LSL didn’t show any effects. To evaluate the anti-inflammatory pain, we did a study based on the anthihypernociceptive activity. Thus, LSL (10 or 100 mg/kg; i.v.; 15 minutes) inhibited the mechanical hypernociception induced by carrageenan and ovalbumin (immunized animals) intraplantarly administration, but not induced by prostaglandin E2. (PGE2). This effect was correlated to the block of neutrophil influx, suggested by the reduction of myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels on animal’s paws pretreated with LSL (3 or 10 mg/kg; i.v.; 15 minutes) and stimulated with carregeenan. This antihyperalgesic effect seems to be highly dependent of the cytokines (TNF-a and IL-1b) and chemokines (MIP-1a [CCL3], KC [CXCL1]) level decreasing, since LSL (10 or 100 mg/kg; i.v.; 15 minutes) reduced these mediators’ levels on animal’s paws pretreated with Cg (intraplantar). Corresponding to the possible central activity, LSL (10 mg/kg; i.v.) did not alter the motor activity and not provoked depression on animals. LSL acute toxicity was evaluated by treating the rats with LSL (10 mg/kg; i.v.) during seven days analyzing several parameters of the animals: kidney functions (wet weight, urea dosage), liver functions (wet weight, kinetic evaluation of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase), heart (wet weight) stomach (wet weight and visual evaluation of possible lesions), variation in body weight of treated animals and leukogram. The obtained results didn’t show any alteration on the evaluated parameters suggesting that LSL doesn’t show any toxicity on animals. In conclusion, the antinoceptive and antihyperalgesic activity of LSL are associated to the inhibition of the neutrophil migration; it is probably a reflection of an inhibition on cytokines and chemokines free flowing and for the increasing of NO free flow. Additionally, this lectin doesn’t show acute toxicity and central effects.