Naringenin mitigates titanium dioxide (TiO)-induced chronic arthritis in mice: role of oxidative stress, cytokines, and NFκB.

Objective: To evaluate the effect and mechanisms of naringenin in TiO-induced chronic arthritis in mice, a model resembling prosthesis and implant inflammation.

Treatment: Flavonoids are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory molecules with important anti-inflammatory effect. Mice were daily treated with the flavonoid naringenin (16.7-150 mg/kg, orally) for 30 days starting 24 h after intra-articular knee injection of 3 mg of TiO.

Methods: TiO-induced arthritis resembles cases of aseptic inflammation induced by prosthesis and/or implants. Mice were stimulated with 3 mg of TiO and after 24 h mice started to be treated with naringenin. The disease phenotype, treatment toxicity, histopathological damage, oxidative stress, cytokine expression and NFκB were evaluated after 30 days of treatment.

Results: Naringenin inhibited TiO-induced mechanical hyperalgesia (96%), edema (77%) and leukocyte recruitment (74%) without inducing toxicity. Naringenin inhibited histopathological index (HE, 49%), cartilage damage (Toluidine blue tibial staining 49%, and proteoglycan 98%), and bone resorption (TRAP-stained 73%). These effects were accompanied by inhibition of oxidative stress (gp91 93%, NBT 83%, and TBARS 41%) cytokine mRNA expression (IL-33 82%, TNFα 76%, pro-IL-1β 100%, and IL-6 61%), and NFκB activation (100%).

Conclusion: Naringenin ameliorates TiO-induced chronic arthritis inducing analgesic and anti-inflammatory responses with improvement in the histopathological index, cartilage damage, and bone resorption.