Algae Polysaccharides' Chemical Characterization and their Role in the Inflammatory Process.

Polysaccharides are abundant components in marine macroalgae with potential applications in different areas such as pharmaceutical, biomedical, cosmetics and nutrition. The current interest in these compounds is due to their known bioactivities, conferred by their antiallergic, neuroprotective, gastroprotective, cardioprotective, cytotoxic, anticoagulant/antithrombotic, antiviral, antilipidemic, antinociceptive, and immunomodulatory properties, making them promising bioactive products and biomaterials. The inflammatory process is a complex event mediated by the immune system that culminates in the neutralization and elimination of the offending insult protecting the host and restoring tissue homeostasis.

The role of pneumolysin in mediating lung damage in a lethal pneumococcal pneumonia murine model.

Background: Intranasal inoculation of Streptococcus pneumoniae D39 serotype 2 causes fatal pneumonia in mice. The cytotoxic and inflammatory properties of pneumolysin (PLY) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of pneumococcal pneumonia.

Methods: To examine the role of PLY in this experimental model we performed ELISA assays for PLY quantification.

Protection against pneumococcal pneumonia in mice by monoclonal antibodies to pneumolysin.

Pneumolysin (PLY) is an important virulence factor of Streptococcus pneumoniae. We examined the ability of three murine monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to PLY (PLY-4, PLY-5, and PLY-7) to affect the course of pneumococcal pneumonia in mice. The intravenous administration of antibodies PLY-4 and PLY-7 protected the mice from the lethal effect of the purified toxin.