Vanillic Acid Inhibits Inflammatory Pain by Inhibiting Neutrophil Recruitment, Oxidative Stress, Cytokine Production, and NFκB Activation in Mice

J Nat Prod. 2015 Aug 28;78(8):1799-808. doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.5b00246. Epub 2015 Jul 20.

Abstract

Vanillic acid (1) is a flavoring agent found in edible plants and fruits. It is an oxidized form of vanillin. Phenolic compounds form a substantial part of plant foods used as antioxidants with beneficial biological activities. These compounds have received considerable attention because of their role in preventing human diseases. Especially, 1 presents antibacterial, antimicrobial, and chemopreventive effects. However, the mechanisms by which 1 exerts its anti-inflammatory effects in vivo are incompletely understood. Thus, the effect of 1 was evaluated in murine models of inflammatory pain. Treatment with 1 inhibited the overt pain-like behavior induced by acetic acid, phenyl-p-benzoquinone, the second phase of the formalin test, and complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). Treatment with 1 also inhibited carrageenan- and CFA-induced mechanical hyperalgesia, paw edema, myeloperoxidase activity, and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase activity. The anti-inflammatory mechanisms of 1 involved the inhibition of oxidative stress, pro-inflammatory cytokine production, and NFκB activation in the carrageenan model. The present study demonstrated 1 presents analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects in a wide range of murine inflammation models, and its mechanisms of action involves antioxidant effects and NFκB-related inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokine production.

MeSH terms

  • Analgesics / pharmacology*
  • Animals
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / chemistry
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / pharmacology*
  • Antioxidants / pharmacology
  • Benzaldehydes / chemistry
  • Benzoquinones / pharmacology
  • Carrageenan / adverse effects
  • Cytokines / biosynthesis
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Edema / chemically induced
  • Freund's Adjuvant / pharmacology
  • Hyperalgesia / drug therapy
  • Inflammation / chemically induced
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Molecular Structure
  • NF-kappa B / drug effects*
  • Neutrophil Infiltration / drug effects*
  • Oxidative Stress / drug effects*
  • Pain / drug therapy
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Vanillic Acid / chemistry
  • Vanillic Acid / pharmacology*

Substances

  • Analgesics
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Antioxidants
  • Benzaldehydes
  • Benzoquinones
  • Cytokines
  • NF-kappa B
  • phenylbenzoquinone
  • Carrageenan
  • Freund's Adjuvant
  • vanillin
  • Vanillic Acid