title: Curcumin increased the differentiation rate of neurons in neural stem cells via wnt signaling in vitro study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of the present study was to clarify the relationship between the neuroprotective effects of curcumin and the classical wnt signaling pathway.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using Sprague-Dawley rats at a gestational age of 14.5 d, we isolated neural stem cells from the anterior two-thirds of the fetal rat brain. The neural stem cells were passaged three times using the half media replacement method and identified using cellular immunofluorescence. After passaging for three generations, we cultured cells in media without basic fibroblast growth factor and epidermal growth factor. Then we treated cells in five different ways, including a blank control group, a group treated with IWR1 (10 μmol/L), a group treated with curcumin (500 nmol/L), a group treated with IWR1 + curcumin, and a group treated with dimethyl sulfoxide (10 μmol/L). We then measured the protein and RNA expression levels for wnt3a and β-catenin using Western blotting and Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Western-blotting: after the third generation of cells had been treated for 72 h, we observed that wnt3a and β-catenin expression was significantly increased in the group receiving 500 nmol/L curcumin but not in the other groups. Furthermore, cells in the IWR1-treated group showed decreased wnt3a and β-catenin expression, and wnt3a and β-catenin was also decreased in the IWR1 + 500 nmol/L curcumin group. No obvious change was observed in the dimethyl sulfoxide group.
  RT-PCR showed similar changes to those observed with the Western blotting experiments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggests that curcumin can activate the wnt signaling pathway, which provides evidence that curcumin exhibits a neuroprotective effect through the classical wnt signaling pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Neurosurgery, Key Laboratory of Neurotrauma Prevention and Treatment, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Haoxiang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Neurosurgery, Key Laboratory of Neurotrauma Prevention and Treatment, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Neurosurgery, Key Laboratory of Neurotrauma Prevention and Treatment, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Jichao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Neurosurgery, Key Laboratory of Neurotrauma Prevention and Treatment, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Weihua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Neurosurgery, Key Laboratory of Neurotrauma Prevention and Treatment, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Xingsen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Neurosurgery, Key Laboratory of Neurotrauma Prevention and Treatment, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Haitao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Neurosurgery, Key Laboratory of Neurotrauma Prevention and Treatment, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Hongfei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.affiliation: Affiliated Bayi Brain Hospital, General Hospital of Beijing Military Region, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Mingming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Neurosurgery, Key Laboratory of Neurotrauma Prevention and Treatment, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Institute of Neurosurgery, Key Laboratory of Neurotrauma Prevention and Treatment, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China. Electronic address: jklin@tmmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jiangkai
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D060509:Wnt3A Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D060509:Wnt3A Protein; D051176:beta Catenin; D003474:Curcumin
keywords: Curcumin; Neural stem cells; Neuroprotective effects; Wnt signaling