Fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide from the brown algae Fucus vesiculosus, has diverse biological properties, including anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant and antithrombotic activity. This study analyzed the therapeutic activity of total fucoidan (TF) from F. vesiculosus and that of purified fractions (F1 and F2) on zymosan-induced arthritis. Arthritis was induced by injecting zymosan into the k...

PURPOSE To evaluate the effect of curcumin in the acute phase of zymosan-induced arthritis. METHODS Twenty-eight male rats were subjected to intra-articular infiltration of zymosan of both knees and, in four the infiltration was made with saline. The animals were divided into five groups second received every six hours by gavage: corn oil by (positive and negative control); curcumin (100 mg/k...

The capacity of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), zymosan, and calcium ionophore A23187 to induce neutrophil chemotactic activity (NCA), leukotriene B4 (LTB4), and neutrophil attractant/activation protein (NAP-1) release from human alveolar macrophages (AM) retrieved from normal nonsmokers was evaluated. LPS induced a dose-dependent release of LTB4 that began by 1 h, 4.0 +/- 3.2 ng/10(6) viable AM; pea...

Human mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells (hMSCs) repair tissues and modulate immune systems but the mechanisms are not fully understood. We demonstrated that hMSCs are activated by inflammatory signals to secrete the anti-inflammatory protein, TNF-α-stimulated gene 6 protein (TSG-6) and thereby create a negative feedback loop that reduces inflammation in zymosan-induced peritonitis. The results ...

The role of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in the recruitment of blood-derived monocytes in a model of zymosan peritoneal inflammation was investigated. After zymosan injection (1 mg) a rapid influx of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) and monocytes into the peritoneal cavity associated with mouse MCP-1 (JE) gene activation and protein secretion in the exudates occurred. MCP-1 prod...

Experimental results have been obtained which support a hypothesis that the chief characteristics of the “properdin system” may be explained in terms of a classical antigen-antibody system involving complement (C), provided that antibody (Ab) is present in small amounts. Specifically, the hypothesis states that: 1. The zymosan-properdin (Z·P) complex represents varying proportions of Z·Ab·C’14,...