Procyanidins attenuate neuropathic pain by suppressing matrix metalloproteinase-9/2.

Procyanidins attenuate neuropathic pain by suppressing matrix metalloproteinase-9/2.

J Neuroinflammation. 2018 Jun 21;15(1):187. doi: 10.1186/s12974-018-1182-9.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29929563

Abstract
BACKGROUND:

Management of neuropathic pain is a real clinical challenge. Despite intense investigation, the mechanisms of neuropathic pain remain substantially unidentified. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and MMP-2 have been reported to contribute to the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain. Therefore, inhibition of MMP-9/2 may provide a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of neuropathic pain. In this study, we aim to investigate the effect of procyanidins (PC), clinically used health product, on MMP-9/2 in neuropathic pain.
METHODS:

The nociception was assessed by measuring the incidence of foot withdrawal in response to mechanical indentation in mice. Cell signaling was assayed using gelatin zymography, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. The BV2 cells were cultured to investigate the effects of PC on microglia.
RESULTS:

Both in vitro and in vivo administration of PC significantly suppresses the activity of MMP-9/2. Oral administration of PC relieves neuropathic pain behaviors induced by chronic constriction sciatic nerve injury (CCI) in mice. Additionally, PC blocks the maturation of interleukin-1β, which is a critical substrate of MMPs, and markedly suppresses CCI-induced MAPK phosphorylation and neuronal and microglia activation, including the reduced phosphorylation of protein kinase C γ and NMDAR1. Furthermore, PC decreases the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and inhibits the translocation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in microglia.
CONCLUSIONS:

PC is an effective and safe approach to alleviate neuropathic pain via a powerful inhibition on the activation of MMP-9/2.

Foods with the highest proanthocyanidin content are cinnamon and sorghum, which contain respectively about 8,000 and up to 4,000 mg/100 g of fresh weight (FW); grape seeds (Vitis vinifera) are another rich source, with a content of about 3,500 mg/100 g dry weight.
Other important sources are fruits and berries, some legumes (peas and beans), red wine and to a less extent beer, hazelnuts, pistachios, almonds, walnuts and cocoa.
The coffee is not a good source.
Proanthocyanidins are not detectable in the majority of vegetables; they have been found in small concentrations in Indian pumpkin. They are not detectable also in maize, rice and wheat, while there are present in barley.

http://www.tuscany-diet.net/2014/03/14/proanthocyanidins-procyanidins-foods/