Antioxidant May Reduce Pain Perception

By CP Staff

In a recently published study, changes in inflammatory pain perception (nociception) due to a dietary flavonoid were evaluated. Inflammation induces pain through several pathways including the production of inflammatory mediators such as prostaglandins and dopamine, reactive oxygen species and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor alpha and chemokine ligand 1.

In this study, researchers investigated the mechanism of action of the pain-reducing (analgesic) activity of the antioxidant flavonoid quercetin. In this study, pain was induced experimentally in animal models both chemically and mechanically. Quercetin treatments were given both orally and through the abdomen.

The results showed that the quercetin treatments inhibited both the chemically and mechanically induced perception of pain. Additionally, the researchers found that quercetin reduced the cytokine-induced sensitization of the pain receptors and the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 beta. Quercetin also lessened the decrease of reduced glutathione (GSH) levels caused by carrageenan, a substance used to induce inflammation in animals.

The study authors stated, “These results suggest that quercetin exerts its analgesic effect by inhibiting pro-nociceptive cytokine production and the oxidative imbalance mediation of inflammatory pain.”

Reference:

Valério DA, Georgetti SR, Magro DA, Casagrande R, Cunha TM, Vicentini FT, Vieira SM, Fonseca MJ, Ferreira SH, Cunha FQ, Verri WA. Quercetin Reduces Inflammatory Pain: Inhibition of Oxidative Stress and Cytokine Production. J Nat Prod. 2009 Nov 9. Published Online Ahead of Print.