Inhibitory effects of proanthocyanidins from Ribes nigrum leaves on carrageenin acute inflammatory reactions induced in rats.
BACKGROUND
The anti-inflammatory effects of proanthocyanidins (PACs), isolated from blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) leaves, were analysed using carrageenin-induced paw oedema and carrageenin-induced pleurisy in rats.


RESULTS
Pretreatment of the animals with PACs (10, 30, 60 and 100 mg/kg, i.p.) reduced paw oedema induced by carrageenin in a dose and time-dependent manner. PACs also inhibited dose-dependently carrageenin-induced pleurisy in rats. They reduced (A) lung injury, (B) pleural exudate formation, (C) polymorphonuclear cell infiltration, (D) pleural exudate levels of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta and CINC-1 but did not affect IL-6 and IL-10 levels. They reduced (E) pleural exudate levels of nitrite/nitrate (NOx). In indomethacin treated rats, the volume of pleural exudate was low, its content in leukocytes and its contents in TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6 and IL-10 but not in NOx were reduced. These data suggest that the anti-inflammatory properties of PACs are achieved through a different pattern from those of indomethacin.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that the main mechanism of the anti-inflammatory effect of PACs mainly lies in an interference with the migration of the leukocytes. Moreover, PACs inhibited in vivo nitric oxide release.
Garbacki
Nancy
N
Laboratoire de Physiologie humaine, CHU, Tour 3, Université de Liège, Avenue de l'Hôpital, 3, B-4000 Sart Tilman, Belgium. N.Garbacki@ulg.ac.be
Tits
Monique
M
Angenot
Luc
L
Damas
Jacques
J
D000818:Animals; D002351:Carrageenan; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004487:Edema / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D009566:Nitrates / Q000378:metabolism; D009573:Nitrites / Q000378:metabolism; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D010998:Pleurisy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D044945:Proanthocyanidins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D031965:Ribes / Q000737:chemistry*
D016207:Cytokines; D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites; D044945:Proanthocyanidins; D002351:Carrageenan