Neuroprotective effect of curcumin in arsenic-induced neurotoxicity in rats

• Published in: Neurotoxicology (Park Forest South) Vol. 31; no. 5; pp. 533 - 539
• Main Authors: Yadav, Rajesh S., Shukla, Rajendra K., Sankhwar, Madhu Lata, Patel, Devendra K., Ansari, Reyaz W., Pant, Aditya B., Islam, Fakhrul, Khanna, Vinay K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01-09-2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Amines; Animals; Arsenic; Arsenic - pharmacology; Arsenic Poisoning - metabolism; Arsenic Poisoning - pathology; Arsenic Poisoning - prevention & control; Biogenic Amines - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - drug effects; Brain - metabolism; Carcinogenesis, carcinogens and anticarcinogens; Catecholamine; Chemical agents; Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid - methods; Curcumin; Curcumin - therapeutic use; Drug Interactions; Female; Medical sciences; Metals and various inorganic compounds; Neuroprotection; Neuroprotective Agents - therapeutic use; Nitric oxide; Nitric Oxide - metabolism; Rat brain; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Toxicology; Tumors; Neuroprotection; Curcumin; Arsenic; Catecholamine; Nitric oxide; Rat brain; Nervous system diseases; Rat; Tyrosine kinase inhibitor; Toxicity; Rodentia; Central nervous system; Neuroprotective agent; Encephalon; Carcinogen; Vertebrata; Neurotoxicity; Polyphenol; Mammalia; Animal; Phenols
• ISSN: 0161-813X; 1872-9711
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2010.05.001

Our recent studies have shown that arsenic-induced neurobehavioral toxicity is protected by curcumin by modulating oxidative stress and dopaminergic functions in rats. In addition, the neuroprotective effect of curcumin has been investigated on arsenic-induced alterations in biogenic amines, their metabolites and nitric oxide (NO), which play an important role in neurotransmission process. Decrease in the levels of dopamine (DA, 28%), norepinephrine (NE, 54%), epinephrine (EPN, 46%), serotonin (5-HT, 44%), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC, 20%) and homovanillic acid (HVA, 31%) in corpus striatum; DA (51%), NE (22%), EPN (47%), 5-HT (25%), DOPAC (34%) and HVA (41%) in frontal cortex and DA (35%), NE (35%), EPN (29%), 5-HT (54%), DOPAC (37%) and HVA (46%) in hippocampus, observed in arsenic (sodium arsenite, 20
mg/kg body weight, p.o., 28 days) treated rats exhibited a trend of recovery in rats simultaneously treated with arsenic and curcumin (100
mg/kg body weight, p.o., 28 days). Increased levels of NO in corpus striatum (2.4-fold), frontal cortex (6.1-fold) and hippocampus (6.2-fold) in arsenic-treated rats were found decreased in rats simultaneously treated with arsenic and curcumin. It is evident that curcumin modulates levels of brain biogenic amines and NO in arsenic-exposed rats and these results further strengthen its neuroprotective efficacy.