title: Curcumin modulates TLR4/NF-κB inflammatory signaling pathway following traumatic spinal cord injury in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Curcumin, a polyphenolic compound extracted from the plant turmeric, has protective effects on spinal cord injury (SCI) through attenuation of inflammatory response. This study was designed to detect whether curcumin modulates toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) inflammatory signaling pathway in the injured rat spinal cord following SCI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to laminectomy at T8-T9 and compression with a vascular clip. There were three groups: (a) sham group; (b) SCI group; and (g) SCI + curcumin group. We measured TLR4 gene and protein expression by real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis; NF-κB activity by electrophoretic mobility shift assay, inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6 levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, hindlimb locomotion function by Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan rating, spinal cord edema by wet/dry weight method, and apoptosis by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that SCI induced the up-regulation of TLR4, NF-κB, and inflammatory cytokines in the injured rat spinal cord. Treatment with curcumin following SCI markedly down-regulated the levels of these agents related to the TLR4/NF-κB inflammatory signaling pathway. Administration of curcumin also significantly ameliorated SCI induced hind limb locomotion deficits, spinal cord edema, and apoptosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Post-SCI curcumin administration attenuates the TLR4/NF-κB inflammatory signaling pathway in the injured spinal cord, and this may be a mechanism whereby curcumin improves the outcome following SCI.
authors.forename: Hongbin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Tiansheng
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Baoyu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Weibang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Zhengliang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017209:Apoptosis; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008124:Locomotion; D008297:Male; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D016328:NF-kappa B; C495347:Tlr4 protein, rat; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4; D003474:Curcumin
keywords: Curcumin; Inflammation; Nuclear factor-kappa B; Spinal cord injury; Toll-like receptor 4