Curcumin ameliorates ethanol and nonethanol experimental pancreatitis.
Treatments for pancreatitis are limited. Activation of transcription factor NF-kappaB, a key regulator of inflammatory molecule expression, is an early event in experimental pancreatitis and correlates with the inflammatory response. We report here that curcumin, a natural phytochemical known to inhibit NF-kappaB and activator protein (AP)-1, another important proinflammatory transcription factor, ameliorates pancreatitis in two rat models. In both cerulein pancreatitis and pancreatitis induced by a combination of ethanol diet and low-dose CCK, curcumin improved the severity of the disease as measured by a number of parameters (histology, serum amylase, pancreatic trypsin, and neutrophil infiltration). Curcumin markedly inhibited NF-kappaB and AP-1 activation, assessed by DNA binding and degradation of inhibitory IkappaB proteins, and the induction of mRNAs for cytokines IL-6 and TNF-alpha, the chemokine KC, and inducible nitric oxide synthase in pancreas. Curcumin also blocked CCK-induced NF-kappaB and AP-1 activation in isolated pancreatic acini. Our findings indicate that blocking key signals of the inflammatory response ameliorates pancreatitis in both ethanol and nonethanol models. They suggest that curcumin, which is currently in clinical trials for cancer prevention, may be useful for treatment of pancreatitis.
Gukovsky
Ilya
I
Research Center for Alcoholic Liver and Pancreatic Diseases and Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles and Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, 90073, USA. igukovsk@ucla.edu
Reyes
Christopher N
CN
Vaquero
Eva C
EC
Gukovskaya
Anna S
AS
Pandol
Stephen J
SJ
D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D002108:Ceruletide; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000431:Ethanol; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000072000:NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D010179:Pancreas / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology; D019512:Pancreatitis, Alcoholic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012844:Sincalide / Q000494:pharmacology; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000378:metabolism
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; C083487:I kappa B beta protein; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins; D016328:NF-kappa B; C000606206:Nfkbia protein, rat; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D000072000:NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha; D000431:Ethanol; D002108:Ceruletide; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases; D003474:Curcumin; D012844:Sincalide