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ISSN 2522-9028 (Print)
ISSN 2522-9036 (Online)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15407/fz

Fiziologichnyi Zhurnal

(English title: Physiological Journal)

is a scientific journal issued by the

Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology
National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

Editor-in-chief: V.F. Sagach

The journal was founded in 1955 as
1955 – 1977 "Fiziolohichnyi zhurnal" (ISSN 0015 – 3311)
1978 – 1993 "Fiziologicheskii zhurnal" (ISSN 0201 – 8489)
1994 – 2016 "Fiziolohichnyi zhurnal" (ISSN 0201 – 8489)
2017 – "Fiziolohichnyi zhurnal" (ISSN 2522-9028)

Fiziol. Zh. 2026; 72(4): 43-52

Water-soluble quercetin attenuates oxidative and nitrosative stress and connective tissue disruption in the small intestine of rats exposed to surgical trauma following acute prolonged stress

R.M. Ryabushko, H.V. Kostenko, A.V. Sydorenko, O.Ye. Akimov, V.O. Kostenko

  1. Poltava State Medical University, Ukraine
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15407/fz72.04.043


Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a water-soluble quercetin formulation on markers of oxidative and nitrosative stress, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) system parameters, and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation in the small intestine of rats subjected to surgical trauma following acute prolonged stress. Male Wistar rats (n = 21) were randomized into three groups: Group 1 (Control) - animals receiving polyvinyl- pyrrolidone (PVP) at a dose of 180 mg/kg body weight administered orally in aqueous solution, used as a flavonoid solubilizer; Group 2 - rats subjected to single prolonged stress (SPS) followed by laparotomy and treated with PVP alone at a dose of 180 mg/kg; Group 3 - rats exposed to SPS and subsequent laparotomy and treated with a quercetin-PVP complex (Corvitin) at a dose of 200 mg/kg, corresponding to 20 mg/kg of quercetin. After seven days of treatment, jejunal tissues were analyzed for superoxide production, NOS activity, peroxynitrite levels, and biochemical markers of ECM degradation. Combined psychological and surgical stress markedly increased superoxide generation from mitochondrial, microsomal, and NADPH oxidase sources, as well as total NOS activity and peroxynitrite formation, while suppressing constitutive NOS (cNOS) activity and the cNOS coupling index. ECM degradation was evidenced by elevated hydroxy- proline, hexuronic acid, and N-acetylneuraminic acid levels. Treatment with water-soluble quercetin sig- nificantly reduced superoxide and peroxynitrite production (by 30-40%), suppressed inducible NOS (iNOS) activity (by 43%), and restored cNOS coupling. ECM degradation markers were simultaneously reduced by 13-15%, indicating preservation of collagen and glycoprotein integrity. Thus, water-soluble quercetin was associated with attenuation of oxidative and nitrosative stress, as well as a reduction in biochemical markers of intestinal connective tissue degradation under combined psychological and surgical trauma. These findings suggest that water-soluble quercetin acts as a pleiotropic modulator of redox homeostasis and may serve as an adjunct therapeutic agent for preventing intestinal injury associated with post-traumatic stress and surgical intervention.

Keywords: quercetin; oxidative and nitrosative stress; small intestine; post-traumatic stress disorder; surgical trauma; nitric oxide synthase; extracellular matrix degradation

Full text: (PDF, in English)

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