Curcumin ameliorates chronic infection-induced affective disorders through modulation of proinflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress.

OBJECTIVES

Long-term infection with is associated with affective disorders (i.e., anxiety and depression) in adults. We aimed to explore the effects of curcumin (CR) on anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors in mice infected with .

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Animals were studied in five groups: Control, Model, Model + CR20, 40, and 80 (with IP injection of 20, 40, and 80 mg/kg CR). infection was prolonged for four weeks. The animals were then treated with CR or vehicle for two weeks and evaluated by behavioral tests at the end of the study. Hippocampal levels of oxidative stress biomarkers (superoxide dismutase; SOD, glutathione; GSH, and malondialdehyde; MDA) and gene expression and protein levels of hippocampal proinflammatory mediators (interleukin-1β; IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, and tumor necrosis factor- α; TNF-α) were determined.

RESULTS

Behavioral tests confirmed that long-term infection with led to anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors. Antidepressant effects of CR were linked to modulation of oxidative stress and cytokine network in the hippocampal region of infected mice. These results showed that CR reduced anxiety and depression symptoms via regulation of oxidative stress and proinflammatory cytokines in the hippocampus of -infected mice.

CONCLUSION

Therefore, CR can be used as a potential antidepressant agent against T. gondii-induced affective disorders.