title: Cell culture protection and in vivo neuroprotective capacity of flavonoids.
abstract: Flavonoids are an important group of recognized antioxidants ubiquitous in fruits, vegetables and herbs. There are epidemiological evidences for the stroke-protecting capacity of flavonoids and while the neuroprotective power of complex extracts rich in flavonoids like those of Ginkgo biloba, green tea or lyophilized red wine have been demonstrated in several studies, neuroprotection by individual flavonoids has been poorly studied in vivo. The neuroprotective capacity of individual flavonoids was studied in PC12 cells in culture and in a model of permanent focal ischemia (permanent Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion - pMCAO). In the in vivo experiments, flavonoids were administered in lecithin preparations to facilitate the crossing of the blood brain barrier. The simultaneous incubation of PC12 cells with 200 micro M hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and different flavonoids for 30 min resulted in a conspicuous profile: quercetin, fisetin, luteolin and myricetin significantly increased cell survival while catechin, kaempherol and taxifolin did not. Quercetin was detected in brain tissue 30 min and 1 h after intraperitoneal administration. When one of the protective flavonoids (quercetin) and one of those that failed to increase PC12 cell survival (catechin) were assessed for their protective capacity in the pMCAO model, administered i.p. 30 min after vessel occlusion, quercetin significantly decreased the brain ischemic lesion while catechin did not. It is concluded that when administered in liposomal preparations, flavonoids structurally related to quercetin could become leads for the development of a new generation of molecules to be clinically effective in human brain ischemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurochemistry, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Avda Italia 3318, 11600 Montevideo, Uruguay. fdajas@iibce.edu.uy
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dajas
authors.forename: Felicia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rivera
authors.forename: Fernanda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Blasina
authors.forename: Florencia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Arredondo
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Echeverry
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lafon
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morquio
authors.forename: Horacio
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Heinzen
authors.forename: Horacio
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Heizen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D002392:Catechin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D004563:Electrochemistry; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000633:toxicity; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000473:pathology; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D011794:Quercetin / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet
chemical_list: D005419:Flavonoids; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D002392:Catechin; D011794:Quercetin; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase