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Immunomodulation and Antioxidant Effects of Anthocyanins from Cherries on Adjuvant-Induced Arthritis in Rats

  • Original Research Article
  • Published:
Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine

Abstract

Objective

The effects of anthocyanins from cherries on adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) in rats were investigated by measuring the levels of tumour necrosis factor-α (TNFα), interleukin-6 (IL-6), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and by measuring the antioxidant effects.

Materials and Methods

Arthritis was induced intradermally by injection with 0.1mL of complete Freund’s adjuvant into the right hind footpad in male Sprague Dawley® (SD) rats. Anthocyanins at 300, 150 and 75 mg/kg bodyweight were administered orally to the treated rats once daily for 28 days after the injection. The swellings in the left hind paws were assayed for arthritic index. TNFα, IL-6 in serum and PGE2 in paws were assayed by radioimmunoassay, and the antioxidant effects were assayed by testing Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum.

Results

Anthocyanins could significantly reduce the paw swelling from day 15 to day 28 after the injection, decrease the levels of TNFα, IL-6 and MDA in serum and PGE2 in paws, and increase activity of SOD in serum on day 28 after the injection.

Conclusions

The anthocyanins could protect against AIA in SD rats, and the mechanism works partly by regulating the inflammatory cytokines and improving the antioxidative status of AIA.

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Acknowledgements

This study supported in part by the New Drug Development Project from Ministry of Science and Technology, China (no. 2002AIA2Z3231) and E-Institutes of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission (no. E03008).

The authors have no conflicts of interest that are directly relevant to the content of this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Basic Theory, China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dongzhimen, Beijing, 100700, China

    Ying-Hui He, Jing Zhou, Cheng Xiao &  Ai-Ping Lu

  2. National Pharmaceutical Engineering Centre, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China

    Ying-Hui He & Yue-Sheng Wang

  3. Institute of Meteria Medica, China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China

    Yue-Sheng Wang & Yan Tong

  4. Institute of Clinical Research, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China

    Cheng Xiao

  5. State Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Molecular Pharmacology, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

    Johnny Cheuk-On Tang & Albert Sun-Chi Chan

  6. E-Institutes of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, Shanghai Traditional Chinese Medicine University, Shanghai, China

    Ai-Ping Lu

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  1. Ying-Hui He
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Correspondence to Ai-Ping Lu.

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He, YH., Zhou, J., Wang, YS. et al. Immunomodulation and Antioxidant Effects of Anthocyanins from Cherries on Adjuvant-Induced Arthritis in Rats. Evid-Based-Integrative-Med 2, 95–99 (2005). https://doi.org/10.2165/01197065-200502020-00005

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/01197065-200502020-00005

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