curcumin and Hypoxia-Ischemia--Brain

This study examines the preventive and therapeutic effects of curcumin on brain edema after hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) in a rat model. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: a sham group (SH), a hypoxic-ischemic group (HI) without drug treatment, a hypoxic-ischemic group (CU) with curcumin injection, and a hypoxic-ischemic group with DMSO injection (solvent control, SC). HIBD treatment led to edema and ultrastructural changes in the hippocampus, increased the activity levels of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the brain (P<0.05), and raised the expression of water channel protein 4 (Aquaporin-4, AQP-4) in the blood-brain barrier (BBB) (P<0.05). Curcumin injection, but not the control DMSO injection, partially reversed HIBD-induced brain edema and morphological changes, as well as HIBD-induced increase in NOS activities and AQP-4 expression (P<0.05). In conclusion, our results showed that BBB ultrastructural changes may play an important role in the formation and development of brain edema after HIBD. Curcumin may protect the BBB ultrastructure and thus decrease brain edema following HIBD by down-regulating HIBD-induced increase in NOS activities and AQP-4 protein expression.

Topics: Animals; Aquaporin 4; Blood-Brain Barrier; Curcumin; Disease Models, Animal; Enzyme Inhibitors; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain; Male; Nitric Oxide Synthase; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Treatment Outcome

Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; Brain; Caspase 3; Curcumin; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain; Male; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

To explore the effects of curcumin on the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the expression level of c-fos protein following hypoxia ischemia brain damage (HIBD) in rats.. Sprague-Dauley (SD) rats were randomly divided into four groups as the following: sham group, hypoxia ischemia brain damage group, curcumin group and solvent control group. The content of MDA in the brain was measured by colorimetry. The expression level of c-fos protein in the cortex tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry. Morphologic and structural changes of neuron cells of the cortex were observed by electron microscopy.. The content of MDA was clearly lower in curcumin group than that in the other groups at the same time after HIBD. The expression level of c-fos protein was higher in the curcumin group than that in the other groups (P<0.05). Electron microscopy showed that the morphologic and structural changes of neuron cells of cortex in the curcumin group were reduced.. Curcumin could significantly decrease the content of MDA, increase the expression level of c-fos protein and reduce the damage of the neuron cells.

Topics: Animals; Curcumin; Forensic Pathology; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain; Male; Malondialdehyde; Neurons; Neuroprotective Agents; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; Random Allocation; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley