Kumar Nagapuri Kiran, Nageshwar Mesram, Reddy Karnati Pratap
Department of Zoology, Osmania University, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
Basic Clin Neurosci. 2020 May-Jun;11(3):289-299. doi: 10.32598/bcn.11.2.1189.1. Epub 2020 May 1.
Curcumin, a yellow-pigment, found in the popular Indian spice turmeric (Curcuma longa), poses pharmaceutical applications due to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and chemoprotective properties. Excessive fluoride causes fluorosis leading to neurodegeneration and associated behavioral deficits, particularly in children. This study aimed at investigating the neuroprotective ability of curcumin on sodium fluoride (NaF)-related alterations of acetylcholine, catecholamines, histological changes in hippocampus and behavior of rats exposed to NaF during pre- and post-natal period.
Pregnant albino Wistar rats were chosen and divided into four groups. The experimental period lasted 53 days (i.e. the gestational period of 23 days and post-gestational period of 30 days), at which the control group received normal tap water, the experimental group received NaF (20 ppm/kg bw) through drinking water, and the protective groups received curcumin (10 mg and 20mg/kg bw) by gavage and NaF (20 ppm/kg bw) through drinking water. Behavioral study (open field test) was done using postnatal pups aged 21 and 30 days. The brains of postnatal pups aged 1, 7, 14, 21, and 30 days were collected and used for biochemical analysis and those of pups aged 14, 21, and 30 days were used for histopathological analysis.
NaF-exposed rats showed a significant (P<0.05) decrease in body weight, brain weight, and behavioral activities, which were significantly reversed with curcumin treatment. The levels of epinephrine significantly (P<0.05) increased, whereas norepinephrine, dopamine and acetylcholine levels declined in NaF-treated group compared with the control group, which were significantly (P<0.05) reversed after treatment by curcumin (10 mg/kg bw and 20 mg/kg bw) along with NaF. The histological alterations, including shrinkage of neurons and nissal substances were observed in the hippocampus of NaF-treated pups that the control pups, whereas co-treatment with curcumin and NaF showed ameliorative effects and controlled the histological alterations.
The results showed the neuroprotective effect of curcumin on behavior, neurotransmitter levels, and histological changes in the hippocampus against NaF-induced neurotoxicity in developing rat pups.
姜黄素是一种黄色色素，存在于常见的印度香料姜黄（姜黄属植物）中，因其具有抗炎、抗氧化和化学保护特性而具有药用价值。过量的氟会导致氟中毒，进而引发神经退行性变及相关行为缺陷，尤其是在儿童中。本研究旨在探讨姜黄素对产前和产后暴露于氟化钠（NaF）的大鼠乙酰胆碱、儿茶酚胺、海马组织学变化及行为的相关改变的神经保护能力。
选取怀孕的白化Wistar大鼠并分为四组。实验期持续53天（即妊娠期23天和产后30天），在此期间，对照组饮用正常自来水，实验组通过饮用水摄入NaF（20 ppm/kg体重），保护组通过灌胃给予姜黄素（10 mg和20mg/kg体重）并通过饮用水摄入NaF（20 ppm/kg体重）。使用21日龄和30日龄的产后幼崽进行行为学研究（旷场试验）。收集1日龄、7日龄、14日龄、21日龄和30日龄产后幼崽的大脑用于生化分析，14日龄、21日龄和30日龄幼崽的大脑用于组织病理学分析。
暴露于NaF的大鼠体重、脑重和行为活动显著（P<0.05）下降，姜黄素治疗后这些指标显著逆转。与对照组相比，NaF处理组肾上腺素水平显著（P<0.05）升高，而去甲肾上腺素、多巴胺和乙酰胆碱水平下降，在与NaF一起用姜黄素（10 mg/kg体重和20 mg/kg体重）治疗后这些指标显著（P<0.05）逆转。在NaF处理的幼崽海马中观察到组织学改变，包括神经元和尼氏体物质的萎缩，而对照组幼崽未出现，姜黄素与NaF联合处理显示出改善作用并控制了组织学改变。
结果表明姜黄素对发育中的大鼠幼崽行为、神经递质水平及海马组织学变化具有神经保护作用，可对抗NaF诱导的神经毒性。
