Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 16, 2026
Assessment of Knee Hyperalgesia in Mice using Pressure Application Measurement
Published on: June 13, 2025
Lithothamnion muelleri treatment ameliorates inflammatory and hypernociceptive responses in antigen-induced arthritis
Vivian V Costa1, Flavio A Amaral2, Fernanda M Coelho2
1Laboratório de Interação Microrganismo-Hospedeiro, Departamento de Microbiologia, ICB, UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil; Imunofarmacologia, Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, ICB, UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil; Interdisciplinary Research Group in Infectious Diseases, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore, Singapore.
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.
