Quercetin inhibits porcine intestinal inflammation in vitro

Purpose: To investigate the effect of Quercetin (Que) on inflammatory reaction in intestinal porcine enterocyte cells, IPEC-J2, induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Methods: IPEC-J2 cells were pretreated with Que and then incubated with LPS. Cell viability, cell morphology, nitric oxide (NO) content, gene expression levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8), were then evaluated. Results: LPS incubation at 10 μg/mL for 24 h showed no effect on the viability and cell morphology of IPEC-J2, while Que pre-incubation significantly enhanced the viability of IPEC-J2 and improved cell morphology ( p < 0.05). Que decreased the expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 mRNA and IL-8 mRNA raised by LPS ( p < 0.05). Interestingly, both LPS and Que demonstrated no influence on the release of NO. Conclusion: Pre-treatment of Que shows a positive effect on intestinal porcine enterocyte cells and inhibited porcine intestinal inflammation in vitro induced by LPS, but the mechanism may be not associated with NO-related signaling pathway. Therefore, Que might have a potential effect as a veterinary drug or feed additive for the treatment of enteritis in pigs. Keywords: Quercetin, Inflammatory cytokines, Intestinal porcine enterocyte cells, Lipopolysaccharide