title: Dietary quercetin reduces chemotherapy-induced fatigue in mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  While fatigue is the most commonly reported symptom of chemotherapy, there are currently no effective treatments for chemotherapy-induced fatigue (CIF). We used a mouse model to examine the benefits of quercetin on CIF as measured by voluntary wheel running activity and sought to determine whether quercetin may be associated with a decrease in inflammation and/or anemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mice were assigned to 1 of 4 groups: placebo-vehicle (Plac-PBS), placebo-5-fluorouracil (Plac-5FU), quercetin-vehicle (Quer-PBS), or quercetin-5-fluorouracil (Quer-5FU). All mice were given a daily injection of either 60 mg/kg of 5-FU or phosphate buffered saline (PBS) for 5 days. Quercetin (0.02%) treatment was administered in the food 3 days prior to 5-FU administration and for the duration of the experiment (ie, days -2 to 14). A second group of mice was sacrificed at 5 and 14 days post initial injection for assessment of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and anemia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Voluntary wheel running was reduced in both the Plac-5FU and Quer-5FU groups following 5-FU injection (P < .05). However, the Quer-5FU group recovered to baseline levels by approximately day 7, whereas the Plac-5FU group remained suppressed. MCP-1 was significantly elevated at 14 days in Plac-5FU (P < .001), but no changes were seen with Quer-5FU. Treatment with 5-FU resulted in anemia at both 5 days and 14 days; however, quercetin blocked this effect at 14 days (P < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate the beneficial effect of quercetin on improving recovery of voluntary physical activity following 5-FU treatment, which may be linked to a decrease in inflammation and anemia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise Science, Lansing School of Nursing, Bellarmine University, Louisville, KY, USA smahoney@bellarmine.edu.
authors.forename: Sara E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Mahoney
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise Science, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
authors.forename: J Mark
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
authors.forename: E Angela
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise Science, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
authors.forename: Jamie L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: McClellan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
authors.forename: Marjory M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Pena
mesh_terms: D000740:Anemia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D000818:Animals; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000009:adverse effects; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000378:metabolism; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005221:Fatigue / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D011794:Quercetin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D011794:Quercetin; D005472:Fluorouracil
keywords: anemia; chemotherapy; fatigue; inflammation; quercetin