title: Curcumin enhances human macrophage control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  With the worldwide emergence of highly drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB), novel agents that have direct antimycobacterial effects or that enhance host immunity are urgently needed. Curcumin is a polyphenol responsible for the bright yellow-orange colour of turmeric, a spice derived from the root of the perennial herb Curcuma longa. Curcumin is a potent inducer of apoptosis-an effector mechanism used by macrophages to kill intracellular Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB).
  
  
  METHODS
  An in vitro human macrophage infection model was used to determine the effects of curcumin on MTB survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that curcumin enhanced the clearance of MTB in differentiated THP-1 human monocytes and in primary human alveolar macrophages. We also found that curcumin was an inducer of caspase-3-dependent apoptosis and autophagy. Curcumin mediated these anti-MTB cellular functions, in part, via inhibition of nuclear factor-kappa B (NFκB) activation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Curcumin protects against MTB infection in human macrophages. The host-protective role of curcumin against MTB in macrophages needs confirmation in an animal model; if validated, the immunomodulatory anti-TB effects of curcumin would be less prone to drug resistance development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Denver, USA.|Departments of Medicine and Academic Affairs, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado, USA.|Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
authors.forename: Xiyuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine and Academic Affairs, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado, USA.|Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Oberley-Deegan
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Denver, USA.|Departments of Medicine and Academic Affairs, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado, USA.
authors.forename: An
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine and Academic Affairs, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado, USA.|Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
authors.forename: Alida R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Ovrutsky
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine and Academic Affairs, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado, USA.|Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
authors.forename: William H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Kinney
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine and Academic Affairs, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weaver
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Gong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine and Academic Affairs, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado, USA.|Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Denver, USA.|Departments of Medicine and Academic Affairs, National Jewish Health, Denver, Colorado, USA.|Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA.
authors.forename: Edward D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D018448:Models, Immunological; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D016328:NF-kappa B; D020011:Protective Agents; D003474:Curcumin
keywords: apoptosis; autophagy; curcumin; nuclear-factor kappa B; tuberculosis