Neuroprotective effect of curcumin on transient focal cerebral ischemia in rats.
Curcumin, a member of the curcuminoid family of compounds, is a yellow colored phenolic pigment obtained from the powdered rhizome of C. longa Linn. Recent studies have demonstrated that curcumin has protective effects against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. However, little is known about its mechanism. Hence, in the present study the neuroprotective potential of curcumin was investigated in middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) induced focal cerebral IR injury. Administration of curcumin 100 and 300 mg/kg i.p. 60 min after MCAO significantly diminished infarct volume, and improved neurological deficit in a dose-dependent manner. Nissl staining showed that the neuronal injury was significantly improved after being treated with curcumin. Curcumin significantly decreased the expression of caspase-3 protein. A higher number of TUNEL-positive cells were found in the vehicle group, but they were significantly decreased in the treated group. Taken together, these results suggest that the neuroprotective potentials of curcumin against focal cerebral ischemic injury are, at least in part, ascribed to its anti-apoptotic effects.
Zhao
Jing
J
Department of Pathophysiology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, PR China. blys01@163.com
Zhao
Yong
Y
Zheng
Weiping
W
Lu
Yuyu
Y
Feng
Gang
G
Yu
Shanshan
S
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D003474:Curcumin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling / Q000379:methods; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000517:prevention & control
D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D053148:Caspase 3; D003474:Curcumin