The flavonoid quercetin inhibits proinflammatory cytokine (tumor necrosis factor alpha) gene expression in normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells via modulation of the NF-kappa beta system.
The flavonoids comprise a large class of low-molecular-weight plant metabolites ubiquitously distributed in food plants. These dietary antioxidants exert significant antitumor, antiallergic, and anti-inflammatory effects. The molecular mechanisms of their biological effects remain to be clearly understood. We investigated the anti-inflammatory potentials of a safe, common dietary flavonoid component, quercetin, for its ability to modulate the production and gene expression of the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Our results showed that quercetin significantly inhibited TNF-alpha production and gene expression in a dose-dependent manner. Our results provide direct evidence of the anti-inflammatory effects of quercetin by PBMC, which are mediated by the inhibition of the proinflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha via modulation of NF-kappabeta1 and Ikappabeta.
Nair
Madhavan P
MP
Department of Medicine and Microbiology, Kaleida Health System, Buffalo General Hospital, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA. mnair@acsu.buffalo.edu
Mahajan
Supriya
S
Reynolds
Jessica L
JL
Aalinkeel
Ravikumar
R
Nair
Harikrishnan
H
Schwartz
Stanley A
SA
Kandaswami
Chithan
C
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D011794:Quercetin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D016328:NF-kappa B; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D011794:Quercetin