Antinociceptive effect of lipopolysaccharide from Pantoea agglomerans on streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice

Inhibition of NLRP3 Inflammasome Prevents LPS-Induced Inflammatory Hyperalgesia in Mice: Contribution of NF-κB, Caspase-1/11, ASC, NOX, and NOS Isoforms

The nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat protein 3 (NLRP3), an intracellular signaling molecule that senses many environmental- and pathogen/host-derived factors, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several diseases associated with inflammation. It has been suggested that NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors may have a therapeutic potential in the treatment of NLRP3-related inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to determine whether inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome prevents inflammatory hyperalgesia induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in mice as well as changes in expression/activity of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), caspase-1/11, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (NOX), and endothelial/neuronal/inducible nitric oxide synthase (eNOS/nNOS/iNOS) that may regulate NLRP3/apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC)/pro-caspase-1 inflammasome formation and activity by using a selective NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor, MCC950. Male mice received saline (10 ml/kg; i.p.), LPS (10 mg/kg; i.p.), and/or MCC950 (3 mg/kg; i.p.). Reaction time to thermal stimuli within 1 min was evaluated after 6 h. The mice were killed and the brains, hearts, and lungs were collected for measurement of NF-κB, caspase-1, caspase-11, NLRP3, ASC, NOX subunits (gp91^phox; NOX2), and p47^phox; NOXO2), nitrotyrosine, eNOS, nNOS, iNOS, and β-actin protein expression, NOS activity, and interleukin (IL)-1β levels. LPS-induced hyperalgesia was associated with a decrease in eNOS, nNOS, and iNOS protein expression and activity as well as an increase in expression of NF-κB p65, caspase-1 p20, caspase-11 p20, NLRP3, ASC, gp91^phox, p47^phox, and nitrotyrosine proteins in addition to elevated IL-1β levels. The LPS-induced changes were prevented by MCC950. The results suggest that inhibition of NLRP3/ASC/pro-caspase-1 inflammasome formation and activity prevents inflammatory hyperalgesia induced by LPS in mice as well as changes in NF-κB, caspase-11, NOX2, NOXO2, and eNOS/nNOS/iNOS expression/activity.

Structure and protective effect of exopolysaccharide from P. Agglomerans strain KFS-9 against UV radiation

The water-soluble exopolysaccharide (WSEPS) from Pantoea agglomerans strain KFS-9 isolated from mangrove forest was prepared by removing bacterial cell from the fermentation liquid following by concentration and cold ethanol precipitation of the supernatant. The polysaccharide material was purified by gel permeation chromatography on a Sephacryl S-300HR column and characterized using chemical and spectral methods. The results show that WSEPS is protein-bound polysaccharide, and it is composed of arabinose, glucose galactose and gulcuronic acid in the molar ratio of 1.0:2.2:2.8:0.9. Their antioxidant activities in vitro were studied by various antioxidant assays, including hydroxyl radical scavenging, superoxide radical scavenging and antilipid peroxidation. The results show that the WSEPS extracted had a high antioxidant activity in a concentration-dependent manner (except the activity of antilipid peroxidation). WSEPS quenched hydroxyl radicals, superoxide radicals at low amounts, the IC(50) of which were 0.07 and 0.15 mg/ml, respectively. These results indicate that the protective effect of WSEPS against UV radiation is most likely to be due to the free radicals-scavenging ability.

Antinociception, tolerance and withdrawal symptoms induced by 7-hydroxymitragynine, an alkaloid from the Thai medicinal herb Mitragyna speciosa

7-Hydroxymitragynine is a potent opioid analgesic alkaloid isolated from the Thai medicinal herb Mitragyna speciosa. In the present study, we investigated the opioid receptor subtype responsible for the analgesic effect of this compound. In addition, we tested whether development of tolerance, cross-tolerance to morphine and naloxone-induced withdrawal signs were observed in chronically 7-hydroxymitragynine-treated mice. Subcutaneous (s.c.) administration of 7-hydroxymitragynine produced a potent antinociceptive effect mainly through activation of mu-opioid receptors. Tolerance to the antinociceptive effect of 7-hydroxymitragynine developed as occurs to morphine. Cross-tolerance to morphine was evident in mice rendered tolerant to 7-hydroxymitragynine and vice versa. Naloxone-induced withdrawal signs were elicited equally in mice chronically treated with 7-hydroxymitragynine or morphine. 7-Hydroxymitragynine exhibited a potent antinociceptive effect based on activation of mu-opioid receptors and its morphine-like pharmacological character, but 7-hydroxymitragynine is structurally different from morphine. These interesting characters of 7-hydroxymitragynine promote further investigation of it as a novel lead compound for opioid studies.

Structural characterization of lipid A obtained from Pantoea agglomerans lipopolysaccharide

Lipopolysaccharide isolated from Pantoea agglomerans showed higher priming and triggering activities for macrophages in terms of tumor necrosis factor production than other lipopolysaccharides. To identify the difference in biological activities of lipopolysaccharide of Pantoea agglomerans from other lipopolysaccharides on the basis of structure, we determined the structure of the lipid A part, which is the biological center of lipopolysaccharides, by quantitative analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Lipopolysaccharide of Pantoea agglomerans is constructed with at least two kinds of lipid A of different levels of acylation. One is of the same type as that of Escherichia coli with hexa-acyl lipid A and the other is the Salmonella minnesota type with hepta-acyl lipid A.

Involvement of delta 1-opioid receptors in the antinociceptive effects of mexiletine in mice

The mechanisms of the antinociceptive effect of mexiletine were assessed by administering selective mu-, delta- and kappa-opioid receptor antagonists in diabetic and non-diabetic mice. Intraperitoneal administration of mexiletine, at doses of 10 and 30 mg/kg, produced dose-dependent antinociception in the tail-pinch test in both non-diabetic and diabetic mice. The antinociceptive effect of mexiletine in diabetic mice was significantly greater than that in non-diabetic mice. The antinociceptive effect of mexiletine did not result from the activation of mu- or kappa-opioid receptors in either non-diabetic or diabetic mice, since treatment with either beta-funaltrexamine, a selective mu- opioid receptor antagonist, or nor-binaltorphimine, a selective kappa-opioid receptor antagonist, was ineffective in blocking mexiletine-induced antinociception. The antinociceptive effect of mexiletine was significantly antagonized by naltrindole, a selective delta-opioid receptor antagonist, in both non-diabetic and diabetic mice. Furthermore, the antinociceptive effect of mexiletine was significantly reduced in both non-diabetic and diabetic mice following pretreatment with 7-benzylidenenaltrexone, a selective delta 1-opioid receptor antagonist, but not with naltriben, a selective delta 2-opioid receptor antagonist. These result suggest that delta 1-opioid receptor-mediated mechanisms may be involved in the antinociceptive effect of mexiletine.