title: Effects of quercetin on chronic constriction nerve injury in an experimental rat model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Flavonoids are popular substances in the literature, with proven effects on cardiovascular, neoplastic and neurodegenerative diseases. Antioxidant effect is the most pronounced and studied one. Among thousands of flavonoids, quercetin (QUE) is a prototype with significant antioxidant effects. This study aims to demonstrate the effects of QUE in an experimental rat model of chronic constriction injury (CCI).
  
  
  METHODS
  A two-level study was designed with 42 adult Wistar rats that were randomly assigned to different groups. In the first part, animals in sham, control, quercetin, morphine and gabapentine groups received chronic constriction injury to their sciatic nerves and received a single dose of QUE, morphine and gabapentine. In the second part, different dose regimens of QUE were administered to different groups of animals. Pre-injury and post-injury assessments for mechanical hypersensitivity, thermal sensitivity, locomotor activity and anxiety were recorded and statistical comparisons were performed between different groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comparison of QUE with morphine and gabapentine has revealed significant effects of this agent in the current chronic constriction injury model. QUE was significantly superior to Gabapentine and morphine in terms of alleviating mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity. Additionally, pre-injury administration of QUE for 4 days demonstrated long-term effectiveness on mechanical hypersensitivity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This preliminary report the on effects of QUE in a chronic constriction injury model proved significant effects of the agent, which should be supplemented with different studies using different dose regimens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Başkent University, Adana, Turkey.
authors.forename: Soner
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Çivi
authors.affiliation: Deparment of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gökçen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Emmez
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ümit Akın
authors.initials: ÜA
authors.lastname: Dere
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey. alpborcek@gmail.com.|Neuropsychiatry Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey. alpborcek@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Alp Özgün
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6222-382X
authors.initials: AÖ
authors.lastname: Börcek
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.|Neuropsychiatry Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Emmez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic; D008297:Male; D059348:Peripheral Nerve Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011794:Quercetin / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000293:injuries
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D011794:Quercetin
keywords: Chronic constriction injury; Flavonoids; Neuropathic pain; Quercetin