A novel peptide AnmTX Sco 9a-1 with the β-hairpin fold was isolated from the swimming sea anemone Stomphia coccinea (Actinostolidae family). The peptide consists of 28 amino acid residues, including modified hydroxyproline residue, and its measured molecular mass is 2960 Da. The peptide was not toxic on mice; however, it stimulated their exploratory motivation and active search behavior, and demonstrated an anti-anxiety effect. AnmTX Sco 9a-1 at doses of 0.1 and 1 mg/kg reduced the volume of edema during 24 h better than the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, Diclofenac, at dose of 1 mg/kg in a model of acute local λ-carrageenan-induced inflammation. ELISA analysis of the animal's blood showed that peptide at a dose of 1 mg/kg reduced the content of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), a pro-inflammatory mediator responsible in the edema development, up to the level of TNF-α in the intact group. Besides, AnmTX Sco 9a-1 demonstrated a significant analgesic effect on acute pain sensitivity in the carrageenan-induced thermal hyperalgesia model at doses of 0.1 and 1 mg/kg. Activity of AnmTX Sco 9a-1 was shown not to be associated with modulation of nociceptive ASIC channels.
Keywords: Edman sequencing; TNF-α; analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity; beta-hairpin peptides; sea anemone.