Curcumin Attenuates Retinal Vascular Leakage by Inhibiting Calcium/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase II Activity in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetes

• Published in: Cellular physiology and biochemistry Vol. 39; no. 3; pp. 1196 - 1208
• Main Authors: Li, Jun, Wang, Peipei, Ying, Jia, Chen, Zhen, Yu, Songping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland Cell Physiol Biochem Press GmbH & Co KG 01.09.2016
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - pharmacology; Benzylamines - pharmacology; Calcium - metabolism; Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2 - antagonists & inhibitors; Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2 - genetics; Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2 - metabolism; CaMKII; Curcumin; Curcumin - pharmacology; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - drug therapy; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - genetics; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - metabolism; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - pathology; Diabetic retinopathy; Diabetic Retinopathy - drug therapy; Diabetic Retinopathy - genetics; Diabetic Retinopathy - metabolism; Diabetic Retinopathy - pathology; Ependymoglial Cells - drug effects; Ependymoglial Cells - metabolism; Ependymoglial Cells - pathology; Gene Expression Regulation; Glucose - toxicity; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 - genetics; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 - metabolism; Male; NF-kappa B - antagonists & inhibitors; NF-kappa B - genetics; NF-kappa B - metabolism; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II - antagonists & inhibitors; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II - genetics; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II - metabolism; Original Paper; Primary Cell Culture; Pyrrolidines - pharmacology; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Retina - drug effects; Retina - metabolism; Retina - pathology; Retinal vascular leakage; Retinal Vessels - drug effects; Retinal Vessels - metabolism; Retinal Vessels - pathology; Signal Transduction; Sulfonamides - pharmacology; Thiocarbamates - pharmacology; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - antagonists & inhibitors; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - genetics; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - metabolism; Diabetic retinopathy; Curcumin; CaMKII; Retinal vascular leakage
• ISSN: 1015-8987; 1421-9778
• DOI: 10.1159/000447826

Background: Curcumin possesses many pharmacological properties including anti-inflammatory effects. Although prior studies indicate that curcumin has beneficial effects for diabetic retinopathy, the mechanism of action is not known. To address this issue, we investigated the effect of curcumin against diabetes-induced retinal vascular damage and its mechanism of action by using cultured retinal Müller cells stimulated with high glucose. Methods: We studied the effects of curcumin in vivo in the retinas of rats rendered diabetic by streptozotocin and in vitro in Müller cells stimulated with high glucose. We administered curcumin, or KN93, an inhibitor of calcium/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), or saline vehicle to experimental animals on a daily basis for 12 weeks. Primary cultures of rat Müller cells were incubated with normal glucose or high glucose, with or without curcumin, KN93, or pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), an inhibitor of the transcription protein nuclear factor κB (NF-κB). We examined mRNA and protein levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) by real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Retinal levels of CaMKII and NF-κB were examined by Western blotting. Vascular leakage was evaluated using Evans blue. Results: Curcumin and KN93 significantly inhibited the activation of CaMKII/NF-κB signaling induced by diabetes or elevated glucose, and subsequently decreased the expression of VEGF, iNOS and ICAM-1. These changes were associated with a decrease of diabetes-induced retinal vascular leakage. Conclusion: Curcumin protects the diabetic rat retina against early retinal vascular damage, by inhibition of CaMKII activity. Curcumin is currently used to treat a number of clinical conditions, and may prove beneficial for the management of diabetic retinopathy.