Abstract
BackgroundThe present study was proposed to elucidate the prophylactic role of curcumin in the prevention of hypoxia-induced cerebral edema (HACE).MethodsRats were exposed to simulated hypobaric hypoxia at 7620 m for 24 h at 25 ± 1 °C. Transvascular leakage, expression of transcriptional factors (nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (Hif-1α) and also the genes regulated by these transcriptional factors, sodium potassium-adenosine triphosphatase (Na+/K+-ATPase) and endothelial sodium channel (ENaC) levels and brain tight junction (TJ) proteins like ZO-1, junctional adhesion molecule C (JAMC), claudin 4 and claudin 5 levels were determined in the brain of rats under hypoxia by Western blotting, electro mobility shift assay, ELISA, immunohistochemistry, and histopathology along with haematological parameters. Simultaneously, to rule out the fact that inflammation causes impaired Na+/K+-ATPase and ENaC functions and disturbing the TJ integrity leading to cerebral edema, the rats were pre-treated with curcumin (100 mg/kg body weight) 1 h prior to 24-h hypoxia.ResultsCurcumin administration to rats, under hypoxia showed a significant decrease (p < 0.001) in brain water content (3.53 ± 0.58 wet-to-dry-weight (W/D) ratio) and transvascular leakage (136.2 ± 13.24 relative fluorescence units per gram (r.f.u./g)) in the brain of rats compared to control (24-h hypoxia) (7.1 ± 1.0 W/D ratio and 262.42 ± 24.67 r.f.u./g, respectively). Curcumin prophylaxis significantly attenuated the upregulation of NF-κB (p < 0.001), thereby leading to concomitant downregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine levels (↓IL-1, IL-2, IL-18 and TNF-α), cell adhesion molecules (↓P-selectin and E-selectin) and increased anti-inflammatory cytokine (↑IL-10). Curcumin stabilized the brain HIF-1α levels followed by maintaining VEGF levels along with upregulated Na+/K+-ATPase and ENaC levels (p < 0.001) under hypoxia. Curcumin restored the brain ZO-1, JAMC, claudin 4 and claudin 5 levels (p < 0.001) under hypoxia. Histopathological observations revealed the absence of edema and inflammation in the brain of rats supplemented with curcumin.ConclusionsThese results indicate that curcumin is a potent drug in amelioration of HACE as it effectively attenuated inflammation as well as fluid influx by maintaining the tight junction proteins integrity with increased ion channels expression in the brain of rats under hypoxia.
Highlights
The present study was proposed to elucidate the prophylactic role of curcumin in the prevention of hypoxia-induced cerebral edema (HACE)
Many chemical mediators have been implicated in developing HACE, such as (i) free-radical formation could directly damage vessel basement membranes causing vasogenic edema; (ii) accumulation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α) and subsequent upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) could contribute further basement membrane damage [8]; (iii) local hyperkalaemia could trigger calcium-mediated nitric oxide release, which in turn act on vascular smooth muscle to cause vasodilatation; and (iv) neuronal-mediated adenosine release leading to further enhanced vasodilatation, this perhaps activates the trigeminovascular system causing headache
The results of the present study indicate that curcumin modulates the oxygen-dependent transcription of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and HIF-1α; the two genes involved in regulation of adaptive responses (Na+/K+-ATPase and endothelial sodium channel (ENaC)) and decrease in the brain inflammation leading to reduction in cerebral edema by retaining the tight junction proteins integrity in the brain of rats
Summary
The present study was proposed to elucidate the prophylactic role of curcumin in the prevention of hypoxia-induced cerebral edema (HACE). Many chemical mediators have been implicated in developing HACE, such as (i) free-radical formation could directly damage vessel basement membranes causing vasogenic edema; (ii) accumulation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α) and subsequent upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) could contribute further basement membrane damage [8]; (iii) local hyperkalaemia could trigger calcium-mediated nitric oxide release, which in turn act on vascular smooth muscle to cause vasodilatation; and (iv) neuronal-mediated adenosine release leading to further enhanced vasodilatation, this perhaps activates the trigeminovascular system causing headache All these changes lead to micro haemorrhage causing more fluid accumulation in the brain
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