title: Curcumin reverses neurochemical, histological and immuno-histochemical alterations in the model of global brain ischemia.
abstract: Curcumin, a curcuminoid fromCurcuma longa, presents antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions and, among pathological changes of cerebral ischemic injury, inflammation is an important one. The objectives were to study the neuroprotective action of curcumin, in a model of global ischemia. Male Wistar rats (sham-operated, ischemic untreated and ischemic treated with curcumin, 25 or 50 mg/kg, p.o.) were anesthesized and their carotid arteries occluded, for 30 min. The SO group had the same procedure, except for carotid occlusion. In the 1stprotocol, animals were treated 1 h before ischemia and 24 h later; and in the 2ndprotocol, treatments began 1 h before ischemia, continuing for 7 days. Twenty four hours after the last administration, animals were euthanized and measurements for striatal monoamines were performed, at the 1stand 7thdays after ischemia, as well as histological and immunohistochemical assays in hippocampi. We showed in both protocols, depletions of DA and its metabolites (DOPAC and HVA), in the ischemic group, but these effects were reversed by curcumin. Additionally, a decrease seen in 5-HT contents, 1 day after ischemia, was also reversed by curcumin. This reversion was not seen 7 days later. On the other hand, a decrease observed in NE levels, at the 7thday, was totally reversed by curcumin. Furthermore, curcumin treatments increased neuronal viability and attenuated the immunoreactivity for COX-2 and TNF-alpha, in the hippocampus in both protocols. We showed that curcumin exerts neuroprotective actions, in a model of brain ischemia that are probably related to its anti-inflammatory activity.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine Estácio of Juazeiro do Norte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Glaura Fernandes Teixeira
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: de Alcântara
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine Estácio of Juazeiro do Norte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eudes
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Simões-Neto
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine Estácio of Juazeiro do Norte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Giovany Michely Pinto
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: da Cruz
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine Estácio of Juazeiro do Norte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Elizabeth Pereira
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Nobre
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine Estácio of Juazeiro do Norte, Brazil.
authors.forename: Kelly Rose Tavares
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine of the Federal University of Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Geanne Matos
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: de Andrade
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine of the Federal University of Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gerly Anne de Castro
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Brito
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine Estácio of Juazeiro do Norte, Brazil; Faculty of Medicine of the Federal University of Ceará, Brazil.
authors.forename: Glauce Socorro de Barros
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Viana
keywords: Brain ischemia; Curcumin; Cytokines; Neuroinflammation; Neuroprotection