title: Immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effect of p-coumaric acid, a common dietary polyphenol on experimental inflammation in rats.
abstract: In this study, p-coumaric acid was evaluated for its immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties in vivo. The immunomodulatory effect of p-coumaric acid (100 mg/kg body weight) was assessed by evaluating its effect on cell-mediated immune responses (delayed type hypersensitivity reaction), serum immunoglobulin levels, and macrophage phagocytic index in rats. The anti-inflammatory effects of p-coumaric acid (100 mg/kg body weight) were investigated by examining its effect on expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) in synovial tissue by immunofluorescence confocal microscopy and circulating immune complexes in serum of adjuvant-induced arthritic rats. The increased cell-mediated immune responses and macrophage phagocytic index observed in control rats were significantly reduced (p < 0.05) upon treatment with p-coumaric acid implying its immunosuppressive property, whereas serum immunoglobulin levels were found to be increased in p-coumaric acid treated control rats. p-coumaric acid also showed significant (p < 0.05) anti-inflammatory effects in adjuvant-induced arthritic rats by effecting a decrease in the expression of inflammatory mediator TNF-α and circulating immune complexes. Indomethacin was used as a reference drug for anti-inflammatory studies. Thus, our results show that p-coumaric acid could be considered a potential immunosuppressive agent in treating autoimmune inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.
authors.affiliation: School of Bio Sciences and Technology, VIT University, Vellore, 632 014, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Samuel Joshua
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Pragasam
authors.forename: Vijayalakshmi
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Venkatesan
authors.forename: MahaboobKhan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rasool
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000097:blood; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D003373:Coumaric Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects*; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000097:blood; D007213:Indomethacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D011422:Propionates; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D000975:Antioxidants; D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D003373:Coumaric Acids; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D011422:Propionates; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C495469:p-coumaric acid; D007213:Indomethacin