Inhibitory effect of quercetin on carrageenan-induced inflammation in rats

Life Sci. 2003 Dec 26;74(6):709-21. doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2003.06.036.

Abstract

We examined the effect of quercetin on the inflammatory response induced by carrageenan in the rat. Air pouches were induced subcutaneously on the backs of rats and injected with carrageenan. The rats were treated with either vehicle or quercetin at a dose of 10 mg/kg one hour before carrageenan challenge. Fourty-eight hour after carrageenan challenge, the air pouches were removed and analyzed. The volume, protein amounts and cell counts in the exudation obtained from the quercetin-treated animals were significantly reduced compared to those from vehicle-treated animals. The contents of PGE(2), TNF-alpha, RANTES, MIP-2 and the mRNA for cyclooxygenase-2 were also suppressed in these rats. The histological examination displayed the suppression of the inflammatory response in the pouch tissues from quercetin-treated rats. As the anti-inflammatory effect of the flavonols was more or less at the similar level among the quercetin-, isoquercitrin- or rutin-treated rats, it appeared that the sugar parts did not influence on the anti-inflammatory effect. Our study indicated that the flavonols modulated the inflammatory response, at least in part, by modulating the prostanoid synthesis as well as cytokine production.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Carrageenan
  • Chemokine CCL5 / metabolism
  • Chemokine CXCL2
  • Chemokines, CXC*
  • Cyclooxygenase 2
  • Dinoprostone / metabolism
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Exudates and Transudates / drug effects
  • Exudates and Transudates / metabolism
  • Hindlimb
  • Inflammation / chemically induced
  • Inflammation / metabolism
  • Inflammation / prevention & control*
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins*
  • Isoenzymes / genetics
  • Isoenzymes / metabolism
  • Male
  • Monokines / metabolism
  • Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / genetics
  • Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / metabolism
  • Quercetin / therapeutic use*
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / metabolism

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Chemokine CCL5
  • Chemokine CXCL2
  • Chemokines, CXC
  • Cxcl2 protein, rat
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Isoenzymes
  • Monokines
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Carrageenan
  • Quercetin
  • Cyclooxygenase 2
  • Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases
  • Dinoprostone