title: Oral administration of curcumin (Curcuma longa) can attenuate the neutrophil inflammatory response in zymosan-induced arthritis in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of curcumin in the acute phase of zymosan-induced arthritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight male rats were subjected to intra-articular infiltration of zymosan of both knees and, in four the infiltration was made with saline. The animals were divided into five groups second received every six hours by gavage: corn oil by (positive and negative control); curcumin (100 mg/kg); prednisone 1 mg/kg/day; prednisone 8 mg/kg. All animals were sacrificed after six, 12, 24 and 48 hours of the infiltration. The knees were removed for evaluation of neutrophil infiltration. The number of neutrophils was counted by computer-assisted analysis of the images. The neutrophil infiltrate was stratified into four grades: 0 = normal; + = mild; ++/+++ = moderate; > ++++ = severe. The results were compared using the Mann-Whitney test and the variance by Kruskal-Wallis test adopting a significance level of 5% (p<0.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Curcumin reduces inflammatory activity in the first six hours after zymosan-induced arthritis when compared to saline (p<0.01). This was also observed in animals subjected to administration of prednisone (1 mg/kg) and those treated with prednisone (8 mg/kg). Curcumin was more effective than lower doses of prednisone in the first six hours after induction of the arthritis. After 12, 24 and 48 hours, curcumin does not have the same anti-inflammatory effects when compared to prednisone. After 48 hours, prednisone is more effective than curcumin in reducing the inflammatory infiltrate regardless of the dose of prednisone used.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral administration of curcumin reduces inflammation in the first six hours after experimentally zymosan-induced arthritis.
authors.affiliation: Sao Francisco University, Bragança Paulista, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nilson
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nonose
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, USF, Bragança Paulista, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Aires
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Sao Francisco University.
authors.forename: Paulo Roberto Moura
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.affiliation: National Council of Technological and Scientific Development, Bragança Paulista, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Murilo Rocha
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: National Council of Technological and Scientific Development, Bragança Paulista, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniela Tiemi
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: USF, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos Augusto Real
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Martinez
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D003474:Curcumin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D020556:Neutrophil Infiltration / Q000187:drug effects*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015054:Zymosan
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D015054:Zymosan; D011239:Prednisolone; D003474:Curcumin