title: Dietary curcumin supplementation attenuates 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) neurotoxicity in C57BL mice.
abstract: Studies in vivo and in vitro suggest that curcumin is a neuroprotective agent. Experiments were conducted to determine whether dietary supplementation with curcumin has neuroprotective effects in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease (PD). Treatment with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) significantly induced the loss of dopaminergic cells in the substantia nigra and deletion of dopamine in the striatum, which was attenuated by long-term (7 weeks) dietary supplementation with curcumin at a concentration of 0.5% or 2.0% (w/w). Although curcumin did not prevent the MPTP-induced apoptosis of neuroblasts in the subventricular zone (SVZ), it promoted the regeneration of neuroblasts in the anterior part of the SVZ (SVZa) at 3 days after MPTP treatment. Furthermore, curcumin enhanced the MPTP-induced activation of microglia and astrocytes in the striatum and increased the expression of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFβ1) in the striatum and SVZ. GDNF and TGFβ1 are thought to play an important role in protecting neurons from injury in the central and peripheral nervous systems. These results suggest that long-term administration of curcumin blocks the neurotoxicity of MPTP in the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system of the mouse and that the neuroprotective effect might be correlated with the increased expression of GDNF and TGFβ1. Curcumin may be effective in preventing or slowing the progression of PD.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, 150001 People's Republic of China ; Department of Veterinary Pathology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi,Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
authors.forename: Xi-Jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi,Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.affiliation: Somatech Center, House Foods Corporation, 1-4 Takanodai, Yotsukaido, Chiba 284-0033, Japan.
authors.forename: Chiaki
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Megumi
authors.affiliation: Somatech Center, House Foods Corporation, 1-4 Takanodai, Yotsukaido, Chiba 284-0033, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tsuge
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Pathology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi,Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakayama
keywords: MPTP; astrocyte; curcumin; dopamine; microglia; neuroprotective