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Flavonoids are potent antioxidants and have been associated with lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases. In this study, the effect of flavonoids (monomers, dimers and a trimer) as well as French maritime pine bark extract, Pycnogenol, on NO production, tumor necrosis factor-K K (TNF-K K) secretion and nuclear factor (NF)-U UB activity was compared. Monomers and dimers repressed NO production, TNF-K K secretion and NF-U UB-dependent gene expression induced by interferon Q Q, whereas the trimeric procyanidin C2 and Pycnogenol enhanced these parameters. In addition, in unstimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages, both procyanidin C2 and Pycnogenol increased TNF-K K secretion in a concentration-and timedependent manner. These results demonstrate that procyanidins act as modulators of the immune response in macrophages.z 2000 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

No abstract