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ConBr, a Lectin from Canavalia brasiliensis Seeds, Protects Against Quinolinic Acid-Induced Seizures in Mice

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Abstract

Lectins are proteins capable of reversible binding to carbohydrates or glycoconjugates. In the central nervous system of mammals, lectins with affinity for mannose/glucose or galactose can modulate cellular communication. ConBr, a lectin isolated from the seeds of Canavalia brasiliensis, previously showed antidepressant effect in the forced swimming test in mice, with involvement of the monoaminergic system. In this study, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of ConBr against quinolinic acid (QA), a well-known NMDA agonist that produces severe neurotoxicity when administered in vivo. ConBr (10 μg/site) administered via intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) showed a neuroprotective activity against seizures induced by QA (36.8 nmol/site; i.c.v.) when administered 15 min prior to QA, with a percentage of protection around 50%. ConBr was also able to significantly decrease the severity of the seizures but without changes in the latency of the first convulsion or the duration of the seizures. This effect was dependent on the structural integrity of the ConBr protein and its binding capacity to oligosaccharides residues. ConA, a lectin with high similarity to ConBr, did not reverse the QA-induced seizures. Moreover, ConBr was able to protect against hippocampal cell death caused by QA, which was measured by propidium iodide incorporation. QA caused activation of JNK2 and improved the phosphorylation of Ser831 and 845 on the AMPA receptor GluR1 subunit, and both of these effects were counteracted by ConBr. Our data suggest that the lectin ConBr may exert a modulatory action on NMDA receptors, which inhibits its activity in response to QA.

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Acknowledgments

CNPq (#305194/2010-0), CAPES/PROCAD (#167/2007), CAPES/DGU (#173/2008), FINEP research grant “Rede Instituto Brasileiro de Neurociência (IBN-Net; #01.06.0842-00”) and FAPESC (# 6336/2011-3) supported this work. EHT, BSC, CIT and RBL are recipients of CNPq fellowships.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, 88040-900, Brazil

    Michael A. Russi, Samuel Vandresen-Filho, Débora K. Rieger, Ana Paula Costa, Mark W. Lopes, Carla I. Tasca & Rodrigo B. Leal

  2. Universidade do Vale do Acaraú (UVA), Sobral, CE, 62041-180, Brazil

    Rodrigo M. S. Cunha

  3. Faculdade de Medicina-Sobral, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Sobral, CE, 62041-180, Brazil

    Edson H. Teixeira

  4. BioMolLab, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, 60455-970, Brazil

    Kyria S. Nascimento & Benildo S. Cavada

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  1. Michael A. Russi
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Russi, M.A., Vandresen-Filho, S., Rieger, D.K. et al. ConBr, a Lectin from Canavalia brasiliensis Seeds, Protects Against Quinolinic Acid-Induced Seizures in Mice. Neurochem Res 37, 288–297 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-011-0608-x

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