title: Curcumin attenuates the kainic acid-induced hippocampal cell death in the mice.
abstract: Kainic acid (KA) induced oxidative stress is associated with hippocampal cell death. Recent studies suggest that curcumin, a potent antioxidant, may provide protection for KA-induced oxidative stress. We investigated the effects of curcumin treatment on hippocampal reactive astrocytes in mice with KA-induced seizures. Eighteen hours after curcumin treatment, mice were treated with KA (30 mg/kg, i.p.), and then sacrificed after a further 48 h. Using cresyl violet staining and TUNEL analysis, histological evaluation revealed cell death in the KA-treated hippocampus. However, marked cell death was not observed in mice treated with curcumin. In addition, curcumin treatment reduced the KA-induced immunoreactivity of caspase-3. Similarly, immunoreactivity analyses indicated that KA causes upregulation of hippocampal GFAP, eNOS, and HO-1 levels, all of which were reduced in animals those received the curcumin treatment. Our findings indicate that curcumin is a potent inhibitor of reactive astrocyte expression and thus, prevents hippocampal cell death. These results also support its potential for use in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Medical Research Center for Neural Dysfunction, Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Gyeongnam, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Joo
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Ji Yeong
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Eunyung
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Son
authors.forename: Dong Hun
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hyun Joon
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sang Soo
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Gyeong Jae
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Wan Sung
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Gu Seob
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Roh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects*; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000633:toxicity; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; C496315:Nos3 protein, mouse; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D053148:Caspase 3; D003474:Curcumin; D007608:Kainic Acid