Efeito da lectina da alga marinha vermelha Solieria filiformis (KÜTZING) P.W. Gabrielson na reabsorção óssea em modelo experimental de periodontite em ratos

Abstract

Lectins are omnipresent proteins in living beings, they bind specifically to carbohydrates, this interaction is important for several biological processes and makes lectins valuable tools for applications in biomedical sciences. The red marine alga lectin Solieria filiformis (SfL) presents biological effects such as antidepressant, antinociceptive, antitumor and anti-inflammatory. Since this lectin has this ability to modulate the inflammatory response, it is promising for the control of disorders of immunoinflammatory origin, such as periodontitis. Periodontitis is a disease characterized by damage to the supporting periodontitis due to an immunoinflammatory disorder triggered by the accumulation of dental biofilm. In view of the above, this study aimed at investigating the efficacy of the SfL in an experimental model of periodontitis in rats. For this, male Wistar rats (n=6) were ligature-induced by nylon and under daily use of LSf (1, 3 or 9 mg/kg) intraperitoneally (i.p.) for 11 days. As controls, groups of animals without periodontitis and without treatment (naive) were used, and rats with periodontitis and under the use of sterile saline (i.p.). For the evaluation of this effect, morphometric study and histopathological analysis of the maxilla, interleukin (IL)-1β and 6 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were performed. For the evaluation of this effect, morphometric study and histopathological analysis of the maxilla, interleukin (IL)-1β and 6 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were performed. Finally, systemic parameters were evaluated using serum biochemical dosages, hemogram, body mass variation, weight changes and organ histopathology. The use of LSf during 11 days in animals submitted to periodontitis proved to be efficient in reducing the evolution of periodontitis, as shown in the study of macroscopic analysis of the alveolar bone, reduced 60, 57 and 51%, with the respective doses 1, 3 and 9 mg/kg and in the analysis of the histology of the periodontitis there was a significant improvement in the parameters evaluated, which were inflammatory infiltrate, cemento and bone. There was modulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-1β, IL- 6 and TNF-α, suggesting that the reduction in the evolution of periodontitis under the use of LSf is involved in the ability to modulate the inflammation of this lectin, moreover, LSf proved to be non-toxic, because it does not alter the systemic parameters evaluated. Thus, this lectin proved promising as an adjuvant in periodontitis. This is the first report in the literature of an algal lectin with the effect of reducing the evolution of periodontitis.