title: Effects of curcumin on interleukin-23 and interleukin-17 expression in rat retina after retinal ischemia-reperfusion injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to investigate the effect of curcumin on the retinal structure and the expressions of interleukin-23 (IL-23) and IL-17 in the rat retina after retinal ischemia-reperfusion injury (RIRI).
  
  
  METHODS
  150 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into RIRI group (MG), low-dose curcumin group (LDCG) and high-dose curcumin group (HDCG), (n = 50 per group). RIRI was generated by anterior chamber perfusion of normal saline to the right eye. The left eye served as a normal control group (NCG). Rats in LDCG and HDCG received an intraperitoneal injection of 20 mg/kg/d and 100 mg/kg/d curcumin respectively, at 30 min before RIRI and once daily after RIRI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The morphological changes in HDCG group were improved as compared to MG and LDCG groups. Immunohistochemistry showed that IL-23 and IL-17 were mainly expressed in the ganglion cell layer and the inner nuclear layer of the retina. Low IL-23 and IL-17 expressions were observed in NCG, but increased significantly in MG and LDCG groups. Western blot assay and ELISA also showed that IL-23 and IL-17 expressions increased significantly after RIRI (vs. NCG, P<0.01). Moreover, the IL-23 expression reached a peak at 24 h, whereas IL-17 expression peaked at 72 h after RIRI. Curcumin reduced IL-23 and IL-17 expressions significantly in a dose-dependent manner (vs. MG, P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The IL-23 and IL-17 expressions increase after RIRI and curcumin significantly reduces retinal IL-23 and IL-17 expressions in a dose-dependent manner and is able to prevent the RIRI induced damage to the retina.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Hai-Jiang
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Yi-Qiao
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Hubei University of Science and Technology Xianning, China ; China State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Dai
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Hubei University of Science and Technology Xianning, China ; China State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Kaili
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Affiliated Hospital, Hubei Three Gorges Polytechnic Yichang, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000378:metabolism*; D053759:Interleukin-23 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012160:Retina / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D020381:Interleukin-17; D053759:Interleukin-23; D003474:Curcumin
keywords: Retinal ischemia-reperfusion injury; curcumin; interleukin-17; interleukin-23