title: Curcumin Attenuates Inflammation, Oxidative Stress, and Ultrastructural Damage Induced by Spinal Cord Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Curcumin is a molecule found in turmeric root that possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and has been widely used to treat neurodegenerative diseases. We investigated whether curcumin stimulates the neurorepair process and improves locomotor function in a rat model of spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two Wistar albino rats (190-220 g) were randomly allocated into 4 groups of 8 rats each: 1 sham-operated group and 3 ischemia-reperfusion injury groups that received intraperitoneal injections of saline vehicle, methylprednisolone (MP, 30 mg/kg following induction of ischemia-reperfusion [IR] injury), or curcumin (200 mg/kg for 7 days before induction of IR injury). Spinal cord IR injury was induced by occlusion of the abdominal aorta for 30 minutes. After 24 hours of reperfusion, locomotor function was assessed using the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan scale. All animals were sacrificed. Spinal cord tissues were harvested to evaluate histopathological and ultrastructural alterations and to analyze levels of malondialdehyde, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1 beta, nitric oxide, and caspase-3, as well as enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intraperitoneal administration of curcumin significantly reduced inflammatory cytokine expression, attenuated oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation, prevented apoptosis, and increased antioxidant defense mechanism activity in comparison to treatment with MP or saline. Histopathological and ultrastructural abnormalities were significantly reduced in curcumin-treated rats compared to the MP- and saline-treated groups. Furthermore, curcumin significantly improved locomotor function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Curcumin treatment preserves neuronal viability against inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis associated with ischemia-reperfusion injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Turgut Ozal University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. Electronic address: emrecemalgokce@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Emre Cemal
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Gokce
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Ministry of Health Kirikkale Yuksek Ihtisas State Hospital, Kirikkale, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ramazan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kahveci
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Ministry of Health, Diskapi Yildirim Beyazit Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Aysun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gokce
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa Fevzi
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Sargon
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Kirikkale University Faculty of Medicine, Kirikkale, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ucler
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kisa
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Kirikkale University Faculty of Medicine, Kirikkale, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nurkan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aksoy
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Turgut Ozal University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Berker
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cemil
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Turgut Ozal University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Bulent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Erdogan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019610:Cytoprotection; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008124:Locomotion / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D020760:Spinal Cord Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D015415:Biomarkers; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D003474:Curcumin
keywords: Curcumin; inflammation; lipid peroxidation; oxidative stress; spinal cord ischemia–reperfusion injury