Abstract
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease characterized by persistent inflammation and pain. Alternative therapies to reduce these symptoms are needed. Marine algae are valuable sources of diverse bioactive compounds. Lithothamnion muelleri (Hapalidiaceae) is a marine algae with anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and immunomodulatory properties. Here, we investigated the potential anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of L. muelleri in a murine model of antigen-induced arthritis (AIA) in mice. Our results demonstrate that treatment with L. muelleri prevented inflammation and hypernociception in arthritic mice. Mechanistically, the crude extract and the polysaccharide-rich fractions of L. muelleri may act impairing the production of the chemokines CXCL1 and CXCL2, and consequently inhibit neutrophil influx to the knee joint by dampening the adhesion step of leukocyte recruitment in the knee microvessels. Altogether our results suggest that treatment with L.muelleri has a potential therapeutic application in arthritis treatment.
Highlights
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the leading chronic inflammatory disorders in humans, affecting around 1% of the industrialized world population
We demonstrated that L. muelleri controls inflammatory responses, tissue injury and lethality associated with Graft-versus-Host disease in mice [22]
In order to verify if a shorter period of treatment interfered with the inflammatory response in this model, L. muelleri was given to immunized mice for five days before intra-articular challenge with mBSA
Summary
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the leading chronic inflammatory disorders in humans, affecting around 1% of the industrialized world population. The inflammatory response of the joint synovial membrane and periarticular tissues is conveyed by influx and activation of immune cells and release of inflammatory mediators (such as chemokines and cytokines), PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0118356. Anti-Inflammatory and Analgesic Roles of L. muelleri collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript The inflammatory response of the joint synovial membrane and periarticular tissues is conveyed by influx and activation of immune cells and release of inflammatory mediators (such as chemokines and cytokines), PLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0118356 March 20, 2015
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