title: Curcumin inhibits ox-LDL-induced MCP-1 expression by suppressing the p38MAPK and NF-κB pathways in rat vascular smooth muscle cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to identify the inhibitory effect of curcumin on ox-LDL-induced monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) production and investigated whether the effects are mediated by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and NF-κB pathways in rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs).
  
  
  METHODS
  The VSMCs cells were pretreated with curcumin, before stimulation with ox-LDL. The ox-LDL-induced MCP-1 expression was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Intracellular signaling was investigated by Western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The concentrations of MCP-1 in cell supernatant and were upregulated by ox-LDL in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Additionally, curcumin decreased the expression of MCP-1 in a dose-dependent manner under treatment with ox-LDL (100 μg/ml). Signal transduction studies indicated that the ox-LDL-induced MCP-1 expression in VSMCs could be partly reversed by the inhibitor of p38 MAPK (SB203580) and NF-κB (BAY11-7082), whereas the ERK inhibitor (PD98059) and the JNK inhibitor (SP600125) had no effect. Western blot revealed that curcumin reduced ox-LDL- induced p38 MAPK phosphorylation and nuclear NF-κB p65 protein at the indicated concentration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Curcumin suppresses ox-LDL-induced MCP-1 expression in VSMCs via the p38 MAPK and NF-κB pathways, which suggests that the anti-inflammatory effect of curcumin is related to the down-regulation of MCP-1 expression and offers a new theoretical basis in the anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin.
authors: Department of Cardiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
authors: Yi
authors: Y
authors: Zhong
authors: Tingrong
authors: T
authors: Liu
authors: Zhigang
authors: Z
authors: Guo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000166:cytology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007249:Inflammation; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000166:cytology*; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C491766:Ccl2 protein, rat; D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D016328:NF-kappa B; C099252:oxidized low density lipoprotein; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D003474:Curcumin