We characterized the changes in
nitric oxide (NO) levels in the brain during global forebrain
ischemia and reperfusion and tested the ability of the natural flavonoid,
quercetin, and a synthetic flavonoid,
FB277, to increase the amount of available NO by elimination of the
superoxide radicals produced during reperfusion. In Sprague-Dawley rats, we used a four-
vessel occlusion model of forebrain
ischemia (15 min) and reperfusion (30 min). Brain NO was measured on samples of cerebral cortex and cerebellum ex vivo by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The spin trap used was
diethyldithiocarbamate sodium salt (DETC) associated with
ferrous citrate. The complex Fe(DETC)2NO was detected at 77 K as a triplet signal at g = 2.035. Groups of animals were treated with
quercetin or
FB277 (3-morpholinomethyl-3',4',5,7tetramethoxyflavone) or
polyethylene glycol-conjugated
superoxide dismutase (
PEG-SOD). In control (intact anesthetized animals), the signal was about 3 times greater in the cortex than in the cerebellum. During
ischemia, the signal rose to 110% in cortex (NS) and 283% in cerebellum (P < 0.05). In reperfusion, it fell again to 91% of control in cerebellum (NS) and 35% in cortex (P < 0.05). Treatment by
quercetin (5 mg/kg i.v.) of intact and
ischemia-reperfusion groups did not significantly change the signal amplitude in the cerebellum, but did double it in the cortex (to 76% of control) for the
ischemia-reperfusion group (P < 0.05). In contrast,
FB277 (3.75 mg/kg i.v.) did not increase the signal in the cortex during
ischemia-reperfusion, but did do so in the cerebellum (to 152% of control, P < 0.05). The results obtained for
PEG-SOD (10,000 U/kg i.v.) were similar to those for
FB277. In separate in vitro measurements, we found that
quercetin but not
FB277 efficiently scavenged
superoxide. We hypothesize that
quercetin but not
FB277 scavenged
superoxide anions released in the cortex during reperfusion, thus diminishing the amount of NO removed by the formation of
peroxynitrite. The lack of effect of
PEG-SOD may be related to the need for chronic treatment to obtain protection.