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Carvacrol attenuates mechanical hypernociception and inflammatory response

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Abstract

Carvacrol is a phenolic monoterpene present in the essential oil of the family Lamiaceae, as in the genera Origanum and Thymus. We previously reported that carvacrol is effective as an analgesic compound in various nociceptive models, probably by inhibition of peripheral mediators that could be related with its strong antioxidant effect observed in vitro. In this study, the anti-hypernociceptive activity of carvacrol was tested in mice through models of mechanical hypernociception induced by carrageenan, and the involvement of important mediators of its signaling cascade, as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and dopamine, were assessed. We also investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of carvacrol on the model of carrageenan-induced pleurisy and mouse paw edema, and the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitrite production in murine macrophages was observed. Systemic pretreatment with carvacrol (50 or 100 mg/kg; i.p.) inhibited the development of mechanical hypernociception and edema induced by carrageenan and TNF-α; however, no effect was observed on hypernociception induced by PGE2 and dopamine. Besides this, carvacrol significantly decreased TNF-α levels in pleural lavage and suppressed the recruitment of leukocytes without altering the morphological profile of these cells. Carvacrol (1, 10, and 100 μg/mL) also significantly reduced (p < 0.001) the LPS-induced nitrite production in vitro and did not produce citotoxicity in the murine peritoneal macrophages in vitro. The spontaneous locomotor activity of mice was not affected by carvacrol. This study adds information about the beneficial effects of carvacrol on mechanical hypernociception and inflammation. It also indicates that this monoterpene might be potentially interesting in the development of novel tools for management and/or treatment of painful conditions, including those related to inflammatory and prooxidant states.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Mr. Osvaldo Andrade Santos for the technical support. This work was supported by grants from the National Council of Technological and Scientific Development (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico/CNPq/Brazil) (grant number 305783/2010-6) and the Research Supporting Foundation of State of Sergipe (Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa e à Inovação Tecnológica do Estado de Sergipe/FAPITEC-SE) (grant number 019.203.00860/2009-6).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Farmacologia Pré-Clinica, Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe (LAPEC/DFS/UFS), São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil

    Adriana G. Guimarães, Maria A. Xavier, Marília T. de Santana, Enilton A. Camargo, Cliomar A. Santos, Sócrates C. H. Cavalcanti, Ângelo R. Antoniolli & Lucindo J. Quintans-Júnior

  2. Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Núcleo de Pesquisa Multidisciplinar, Universidade Federal de Alagoas (UFAL), Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil

    Fabíola A. Brito & Emiliano O. Barreto

  3. Núcleo de Pesquisas em Plantas Medicinais, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, Piauí, Brazil

    Rita C. M. Oliveira

  4. Departamento de Fisiologia, Universidade Federal de Sergipe-UFS, Av. Marechal Rondom, s/n, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil

    Lucindo J. Quintans-Júnior

Authors
  1. Adriana G. Guimarães
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  2. Maria A. Xavier
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  3. Marília T. de Santana
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  4. Enilton A. Camargo
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  5. Cliomar A. Santos
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  6. Fabíola A. Brito
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  7. Emiliano O. Barreto
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  8. Sócrates C. H. Cavalcanti
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  9. Ângelo R. Antoniolli
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  10. Rita C. M. Oliveira
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  11. Lucindo J. Quintans-Júnior
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Correspondence to Lucindo J. Quintans-Júnior.

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Guimarães, A.G., Xavier, M.A., de Santana, M.T. et al. Carvacrol attenuates mechanical hypernociception and inflammatory response. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch Pharmacol 385, 253–263 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00210-011-0715-x

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