Quercetin attenuates inflammatory processes after spinal cord injury in an animal model

• Published in: Spinal cord Vol. 48; no. 12; pp. 857 - 861
• Main Authors: Schültke, E, Griebel, R W, Juurlink, B H J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.12.2010; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/250/256; 631/378/1687/1825; 631/92/349; Anatomy; Animals; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cerebrospinal fluid. Meninges. Spinal cord; Human Physiology; Immunohistochemistry; Inflammation - metabolism; Inflammation - pathology; Injuries of the nervous system and the skull. Diseases due to physical agents; Male; Medical sciences; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurochemistry; Neurology; Neuropsychology; Neurosciences; Neutrophil Infiltration - drug effects; original-article; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Peroxidase - analysis; Peroxidase - metabolism; Quercetin - pharmacology; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Spinal Cord Injuries - metabolism; Spinal Cord Injuries - pathology; Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents; quercetin; myeloperoxidase; neurotrauma; rat; secondary injury; Animal model; Nervous system diseases; Vertebral canal; Rat; Enzyme; Rodentia; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Peroxidases; Animal; Spinal cord trauma; Central nervous system disease; Peroxidase; Oxidoreductases; Spinal cord disease
• ISSN: 1362-4393; 1476-5624
• DOI: 10.1038/sc.2010.45

Objectives: We have shown earlier that administration of the flavonoid quercetin significantly contributed to recovery of motor function after spinal cord compression injury in the adult rat. Using the same animal model, we have now designed a set of experiments to test the hypothesis that quercetin attenuates oxidative stress-related inflammatory processes early after spinal cord trauma. Methods: Mid-thoracic spinal cord compression injury in adult male Wistar rats was caused by extradural application and closure of a 50 g calibrated aneurysm clip for 5 s. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels were determined in spinal cord tissue and serum of quercetin-treated animals and controls at 6, 12, 24 and 72 h after injury. The white blood count was followed until 72 h after injury. Results: In quercetin-treated animals, MPO activity was significantly decreased in tissue at 12 and 24 h and in serum at 6, 12 and 24 h after injury, compared with saline controls. In quercetin-treated animals, the prevalence of ED-1 and MPO positive cells was significantly lower than in saline controls. White blood count in venous blood was significantly decreased in quercetin-treated animals at 12 and 24 h after injury. Conclusion: Quercetin attenuated the recruitment of neutrophils to the site of injury. The resulting lower MPO release in the injured tissue is likely to decrease the extent of secondary injury and might at least partially explain the neuroprotective effect of the flavonoid quercetin.