A study on neuroprotective effects of curcumin on the diabetic rat brain

Abstract

The present study was aimed to study the neuroprotective therapeutic effect of curcumin on the male albino rat brain. Subarachnoid hemorrhage leads to severe mortality rate and morbidity, and oxidative stress is a crucial factor in subarachnoid hemorrhage. Therefore, we investigated the effect of curcumin on oxidative stress and glutamate and glutamate transporter-1 on a subarachnoid hemorrhage-induced male albino rats. The curcumin commonly used for the treatment and saline used for the control. Curcumin (10 mg/kg bwt) dissolved in saline and administered orally to the rats for one week. Glutamate, glutamate transporter-1, malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione reductase and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities were determined. Glutamate level was lower in the curcumin-treated rats compared to their respective controls. Glutamate transporter-1 did not alter in the curcumin-treated rats compared to their controls. Glutamate transporter-1 protein expression is significantly reduced in the curcumin-treated rats. MDA levels decreased 18 and 29 % in the hippocampus and the cortex region respectively. SOD (17% and 32%), and catalase (19% and 24%) activities were increased in the curcumin-treated hippocampus and the cortex region respectively. Glutathione reductase (13% and 19%) and LDH (21% and 30%) activities were increased in the treated hippocampus and the cortex region respectively. The mRNA expression of NK-kB and TLR4 was significantly reduced following curcumin treatment. Taking all these data together, the curcumin found to be effective against oxidative stress and glutamate neurotoxicity in the male albino rats.

Exercise and Curcumin in Combination Improves Cognitive Function and Attenuates ER Stress in Diabetic Rats

“…Evidence indicates that curcumin can ameliorate pathologies associated to amyloid-β and recover p-Tau-related pathologies in animal models [32,33]. Also, curcumin has been shown to reduce the gene expression of insulin receptor and insulin receptor substrate-1 in the hippocampus [34][35][36]. Consistently, our results indicate that the combination of exercise and curcumin synergistically improves cognitive function in OLETF rats or inflammation response in OLETF intestines.…”

The Therapeutic Effect of Curcumin in Quinolinic Acid-Induced Neurotoxicity in Rats is Associated with BDNF, ERK1/2, Nrf2, and Antioxidant Enzymes

“…The observed increase in GR activity in response to post-treatment with CUR after a QUIN lesion may confer to the cell the ability to regenerate the appropriate amount of GSH once it has been oxidized. Similar results were reported in the hippocampus of rats subjected to subarachnoid hemorrhage, in which an increase in GR activity was found in response to treatment with CUR (100 mg/kg) for one week [50]. The reduction of GSSG, catalyzed by GR, consumes NADPH, so it is necessary to maintain optimal levels of this cofactor during the oxidizing event.…”

Curcumin and Its Analog Alleviate Diabetes-induced Damages by Regulating Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Brain of Diabetic Rats​

“…Meanwhile, reactive oxygen species (ROS) can effectively activate the NF-κB p65 pathway, suggesting that excessive oxidative stress plays a catalytic role in inflammatory response [33]. In the brain, SOD and MDA were indicated that they could regulate the glutamate tansporters-1 which injures the neuronal [34]. It has been confirmed in large number of literatures that the activity of SOD was decreased and the expression of MDA was increased in the cerebral cortex in diabetic condition.…”