Curine is a
bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid that is isolated from Chondrodendron platyphyllum, a plant that is used to treat
malaria,
inflammation, and
pain. Recent reports have demonstrated the
antiallergic effects of
curine at nontoxic doses. However, its anti-inflammatory and
analgesic properties remain to be elucidated. This study investigated the anti-inflammatory and
analgesic effects of
curine in mice. We analyzed the effects of an oral treatment with
curine in the formation of paw
edema, vascular permeability, abdominal contortion, licking behavior, and
hyperalgesia using different inflammatory stimuli.
Curine significantly inhibited the formation of paw
edema by decreasing vascular permeability, inhibited the
acetic acid-induced writhing response, inhibited the licking behavior during
inflammation but not during the neurogenic phase of the
formalin test, and inhibited
carrageenan-induced
hyperalgesia. Finally,
curine inhibited
prostaglandin E2 production in vitro without affecting
cyclooxygenase-2 expression. The effects of
curine treatment were similar to the effects of
indomethacin, but were different from the effects of
morphine treatment, suggesting that the
analgesic effects of
curine do not result from the direct inhibition of neuronal activation but instead depend on anti-inflammatory mechanisms that, at least in part, result from the inhibition of
prostaglandin E2 production. In conclusion,
curine presents anti-inflammatory and
analgesic effects at nontoxic doses and has the potential for use in anti-inflammatory
drug development.