Activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway by curcumin inhibits oxidative stress in human nasal fibroblasts exposed to urban particulate matter

• Published in: BMC complementary and alternative medicine Vol. 20; no. 1; p. 101
• Main Authors: Kim, Ji-Sun, Oh, Jeong-Min, Choi, Hyunsu, Kim, Sung Won, Kim, Soo Whan, Kim, Byung Guk, Cho, Jin Hee, Lee, Joohyung, Lee, Dong Chang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 30.03.2020; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Activation; Air pollution; Asthma; Care and treatment; Chronic diseases; Chronic illnesses; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Curcumin; Cytokines; ERK; Exposure; Fibroblast; Fibroblasts; Flow cytometry; HO-1; Immunoglobulins; Inflammation; Medical treatment; Nose; Nrf2; Oxidative stress; Particulate emissions; Particulate matter; Phosphorylation; Proteins; Reactive oxygen species; Respiratory diseases; Respiratory system; Rhinitis; Superoxide dismutase; Variance analysis; Western blotting; United States > US; Nrf2; Particulate matter; ROS; Curcumin; HO-1; Fibroblast; ERK
• ISSN: 2662-7671; 2662-7671; 1472-6882
• DOI: 10.1186/s12906-020-02886-8

Particulate matter (PM) can cause various negative acute and chronic diseases of the respiratory system, including the upper airways. Curcumin has been reported to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects; therefore, we investigated the effects of curcumin on nasal fibroblasts exposed to urban PM (UPM). Samples of inferior turbinate tissue were obtained from six patients. Flow cytometry was used to assess the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) following the treatment of nasal fibroblasts with UPM and/or curcumin. We evaluated the effects of UPM and/or curcumin on the expression of phosphorylated ERK, Nrf2, HO-1, and SOD2 in fibroblasts by Western blotting. When UPM was applied to nasal fibroblasts, ROS production was significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner. UPM-exposed fibroblasts caused the activation of ERK to increase HO-1 expression and decrease SOD2 expression. Treatment with curcumin reduced the UPM-mediated increase in ROS; this decrease in ROS occurred in a dose-dependent manner. The UPM-induced activation of ERK was inhibited by curcumin. Nrf2 production was also promoted to increase the expression of HO-1 and SOD2 by curcumin. Curcumin reduced ROS production caused by UPM in human nasal fibroblasts in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting that curcumin has anti-oxidative effects and may be useful in the treatment of nasal diseases caused by UPM, such as allergic and chronic rhinitis.