Anticonvulsive and antioxidant effects of curcumin on pilocarpine-induced seizures in rats

• Published in: Chinese medical journal Vol. 125; no. 11; pp. 1975 - 1979
• Main Authors: DU, Peng, Tang, Hai-Yan, Li, Xin, Lin, Hao-Jie, Peng, Wei-Feng, Ma, Yu, Fan, Wei, Wang, Xin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: China Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University,Shanghai 200032, China 01.06.2012; State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University,Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Neurology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University,Shanghai 200032, China%Institute of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032,China
• Subjects: Animals; Anticonvulsants - therapeutic use; Antioxidants - therapeutic use; Curcumin - therapeutic use; Glutathione - metabolism; Lipid Peroxidation - drug effects; Male; Malondialdehyde - metabolism; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Pilocarpine - toxicity; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Seizures - chemically induced; Seizures - drug therapy; Seizures - metabolism; Superoxide Dismutase - metabolism; 一氧化氮合成酶; 一氧化氮合酶; 乳酸脱氢酶; 大鼠模型; 姜黄素; 抗惊厥作用; 抗氧化作用; 超氧化物歧化酶; pilocarpine; status epilepticus; free radicals; seizure; nitric oxide synthase; curcumin
• ISSN: 0366-6999; 2542-5641
• DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.issn.0366-6999.2012.11.025

Background Curcumin, an active ingredient of turmeric with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties has recently been reported to have anticonvulsant effects in several animal models of epilepsy. This study aimed to investigate the effects of curcumin on the pilocarpine rat model of status epilepticus. Methods The effect of intraperitoneal administration of curcumin （30, 100, and 300 mg/kg） on pilocarpine-induced seizures in rats was tested. The correlation between seizure activity and hippocampal levels of nitric oxide synthase and free radicals was quantified. Whether curcumin treatment modulated these parameters was also investigated. Results Curcumin significantly increased seizure threshold at doses of 100 and 300 mg/kg. Rats with pilocarpine- induced seizures showed significantly elevated levels of malonaldehyde, nitric oxide synthase, and lactate dehydrogenase, but decreased levels of superoxide dismutase and glutathione compared with normal control rats. At doses of 100 and 300 mg/kg, curcumin reversed the effects of pilocarpine-induced seizures on nitric oxide synthase, lactate dehydrogenase, glutathione, and superoxide dismutase. However, curcumin did not restore the elevated malonaldehyde levels. Conclusion Curcumin has anticonvulsant activity in the pilocarpine rat model of seizures, and that modulation of free radicals and nitric oxide synthase may be involved in this effect.