Curcumin attenuates hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in neonatal rats through induction of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 and heme oxygenase-1

Curcumin has previously demonstrated anti-inflammatory, anti-infective and immuno-suppressive effects. In the present study, whether the attenuating effects of curcumin against hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in neonatal rats are mediated via nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) was investigated. A model of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury was created using 1-week-old Sprague Dawley rats (weight, 52±1 g). The model rats were treated with 150 mg/kg curcumin by gavage for 3 days. Malondialdehyde levels, and superoxide dismutase and caspase-3 activities were assayed using commercial kits and western blot analysis was used to measure inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), Nrf2 and HO-1 expression levels. Treatment with curcumin effectively reduced the brain injury score, increased myelin basic protein (MBP) expression and increased the quantity of neuronal cells in neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. Furthermore, treatment with curcumin significantly attenuated the changes in SOD activity and MDA levels and suppressed the iNOS protein expression induced in neonatal rats by hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. Treatment with curcumin significantly increased Nrf2 and HO-1 expression in the neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. The present study indicated that curcumin attenuates hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in neonatal rats through the induction of Nrf2 and HO-1.