Skip to main content
. 2022 Nov 15;20(12):2346–2353. doi: 10.2174/1570159X20666220812122437

Table 1.

Summary of therapeutic potential of quercetin in chronic pain.

Model Treatment Strategy Effects Mechanisms References
Carrageenan-induced inflammatory pain rats PEA-Q (10 and 20 mg/kg, i.g.) was administered 30 min before carrageenan injection. PWL↑ MPO↓ [8]
Formalin-induced inflammatory pain mice
Capsaicin-induced inflammatory pain mice
Quercetin (10-60 mg/kg, i.p. or 100-500 mg/kg, i.g.) was administered on 30 minutes before formalin or capsaicin injection PWL↑ Activation of GABAergic system
Activation of 5-HT receptors
[21]
Formalin-induced inflammatory pain mice
Carrageenan-induced inflammatory pain mice
Quercetin (3, 10, 30 and 100 mg/kg, i.p. or 30, 100 and 300 mg/kg, i.g.) was administered on 30 minutes before formalin or capsaicin injection PWL↑ IL-1β↓
GSH↓
[60]
MSU-induced gout arthritis pain mice Quercetin (10, 30 and 100 mg/kg, s.c.) was administered on 30 minutes before MSU injection. PWT↑ Activation of opioidergic system
Leukocyte recruitment↓
NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1β↓
NLRP3, ASC, pro-caspase-1↓
GSH, FRAP, ABTS↑
Superoxide anion, gp91phox↓
[53]
TiO2-induced arthritis pain mice Quercetin (10, 30 and 100 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered once daily for 30 days starting from the first day after TiO2 injection. PWT↑ Leukocyte recruitment↓
Neutrophil recruitment↓
TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, COX2↓
GSH, FRAP, ABTS↑
Superoxide anion, gp91phox↓
Nrf2, HO-1↑
[7]
MIA-induced osteoarthritis pain rats PEA-Q (10 and 20 mg/kg, i.g.) was administered three times per week for 21 days starting from the third day after MIA injection. PWT↑
PWL↑
TNF-α, IL-1β, NGF↓
MMP1, MMP3, MMP9↓
[8]
CCI-induced neuropathic pain rats Quercetin (100 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered at 21 days after CCI surgery.
Quercetin (100 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered for 4 consecutive days before CCI surgery.
Quercetin (100 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered for 4 consecutive days after CCI surgery.
PWT↑
PWL↑
/ [16]
CCI-induced neuropathic pain rats Quercetin (30, 60 and 120 mg/kg, i.g.) was administered for 21 days starting from 7 days after CCI surgery. PWT↑
PWL↑
Microglial activation↓
p-JNK, p-p38, p-ERK↓
TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β↓
[65]
CCI-induced neuropathic pain rats Quercetin (5.6, 17.8, 56.2, 177.8 and 316 mg/kg, s.c.) was administered on 10 days after CCI surgery. PWT↑
PWL↑
/ [20]
SNL-induced neuropathic pain rats A single administration of quercetin (100 mg/kg, i.g.) was performed on 14 days after SNL surgery.
Quercetin (100 mg/kg, i.g.) was administered for 14 days starting from 0 day after SNL surgery.
Quercetin (100 mg/kg, i.g.) was administered for 14 days before SNL surgery.
PWL↑ TNF-α, IL-1β↓
MMP-9, MMP-2, CCL2↓
NF-κB, TAK1, JNK2↓
[33]
SNI-induced neuropathic pain rats MF diet containing 1% or 0.1% quercetin was given from 4 days before SNI surgery until sacrifice.
MF diet containing 1% quercetin was given from 7 days after SNI surgery.
PWT↑ Activation of satellite glial cells↓
p-STAT3↓
[48]
STZ-induced diabetic neuropathic pain rats Quercetin (10 mg/kg, i.g.) was administered for 4 weeks starting from 21 days after STZ-injection. PWL↑ / [2]
STZ-induced diabetic neuropathic pain rats Quercetin (50 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered for 14 days starting from 7 days after STZ-injection. PWT↑
PWL↑
Activation of satellite glial cells↓
P2X4 receptor↓
p38 MAPK↓
[64]
STZ-induced diabetic neuropathic pain mice A single administration of quercetin (50 and 100 mg/kg, i.p.) was performed on 4 weeks after STZ injection. PWL↑ Activation of opioidergic system [1]
Diabetic neuropathic pain in db/db mice Quercetin (50 and 100 mg/kg, i.g.) was administered once daily for 8 weeks. PWL↑ Changes of synaptic morphology↓
PSD-95, synaptophysin↓
mTOR, p70S6K↓
[62]
Oxaliplatin-induced neuropathic pain mice Quercetin (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg) was administered 30 minutes before every oxaliplatin injection. PWT↑
PWL↑
MDA↓
Fos, nitrotyrosine, iNOS↓
[3]
Paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain mice Quercetin (20, and 60 mg/kg) was administered once daily starting from the first day after the first injection of paclitaxel for 40 days in rats.
Quercetin (20, and 60 mg/kg) was administered once daily starting from the first day after the first injection of paclitaxel for 12 days in mice.
PWT↑
PWL↑
PKCε, TRPV1↓ [23]
Ethanol-induced neuropathic pain rats Quercetin (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg, i.g.) was administered for 10 week starting from 1 hour before ethanol administration. PWT↑
PWL↑
MDA, MPO, NO↓
DNA fragmentation↓
[51]
TCI-induced bone cancer pain mice Quercetin (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg, i.g.) was administered once daily for 21 days starting from the first day after TCI. PWT↑ TNF-α, IL-1β↓
RANKL, RANK, OPG↓
PAR2, TRPV1↓
[38]
Ehrlich tumor-induced cancer pain mice Quercetin (10, 30 and 100 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered on 8 days after injection of tumor cells.
Quercetin (10, 30 and 100 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered once daily for 12 days after injection of tumor cells.
PWT↑
PWL↑
Activation of opioidergic system
Neutrophil recruitment↓
TNF-α, IL-1β↓
GSH, FRAP, ABTS↑
[12]

Abbreviations: ABTS: free radical scavenging ability; ASC: C-terminal caspase recruitment domain; CCI: chronic constriction injury; CCL2: C-C Motif chemokine ligand 2; COX-2: cyclooxygenase 2; DNA: deoxyribonucleic acid; ERK: extracellular regulated protein kinases; 5-HT: 5-hydroxytryptamine; FRAP: ferric reducing ability potential; GSH: glutathione; HO-1: heme oxygenase-1; IL-1β: interleukin 1beta; IL-6: interleukin 6; i.g.: intragastrically; iNOS: inducible nitric oxide synthase; i.p.: intraperitoneally; i.t.: intrathecally; JNK: c-Jun N-terminal kinase; MAPK: mitogen-activated protein kinase; MDA: malondialdehyde; MIA: monoiodoacetate; MPO: myeloperoxidase; MMP: matrix metallopeptidase; MSU: monosodium urate crystals; mTOR: mammalian target of rapamycin; NF-κB: nuclear factor kappa B; NGF: nerve growth factor; NO: nitric oxide; NLRP3: NLR family pyrin domain containing 3; Nrf2: nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2; OPG: osteoprotegerin; PAR2: protease-activated receptor 2; PEA-Q: palmitoylethanolamide-quercetin; PI3K: phosphoinositide 3-kinase; PSD-95: postsynaptic density protein-95; p70S6K: 70 kDa ribosomal protein S6 kinase; PWL: paw withdrawal latency; PWT: paw withdrawal threshold; RANKL: receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand; RANK: receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B; SNI: spared nerve injury; SNL: spinal nerve ligation; s.c.: subcutaneously; STAT3: signal transducer and activator of transcription 3; STZ: streptozotocin; TAK1: TGF-β activated kinase 1; TCI: tumor cell implantation; TiO2: titanium dioxide; TNF-α: tumor necrosis factor α; TRPV1: transient receptor potential vanilloid 1; ↑: upregulated; ↓: downregulated.