Curcumin pretreatment attenuates brain lesion size and improves neurological function following traumatic brain injury in the rat.
Turmeric has been in use since ancient times as a condiment and due to its medicinal properties. Curcumin, the yellow coloring principle in turmeric, is a polyphenolic and a major active constituent. Besides anti-inflammatory, thrombolytic and anti-carcinogenic activities, curcumin also possesses strong antioxidant property. The neuroprotective effects of curcumin were evaluated in a weight drop model of cortical contusion trauma in rat. Male Wistar rats (350-400 g, n=9) were anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital (60 mg/kg i.p.) and subjected to head injury. Five days before injury, animals randomly received an i.p. bolus of either curcumin (50 and 100 mg/kg/day, n=9) or vehicle (n=9). Two weeks after the injury and drug treatment, animals were sacrificed and a series of brain sections, stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) were evaluated for quantitative brain lesion volume. Two weeks after the injury, oxidative stress parameter (malondialdehyde) was also measured in the brain. Curcumin (100 mg/kg) significantly reduced the size of brain injury-induced lesions (P<0.05). Neurological examinations (rotarod and inclined-plane tests) were performed on days 1, 3, 7 and 14 post-brain injury. Control injured rats had a significant neurological deficit during 2 weeks (P<0.001). The injury increased brain levels of the malondialdehyde by 35.6% and these increases were attenuated by curcumin (100 mg/kg). Curcumin treatment significantly improved the neurological status evaluated during 2 weeks after brain injury. The study demonstrates the protective efficacy of curcumin in rat traumatic brain injury model.
Neurosurgery Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Fariborz
F
Samini
Saeed
S
Samarghandian
Abasalt
A
Borji
Gholamreza
G
Mohammadi
Mahdi
M
bakaian
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008124:Locomotion / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D045442:Rotarod Performance Test
D003474:Curcumin
Brain injury; Curcumin; Inclined-plane test; Rat; Rotarod; Weight drop