J Korean Neurosurg Soc.  2018 Jan;61(1):10-18. 10.3340/jkns.2017.0203.003.

Curcumin Increase the Expression of Neural Stem/Progenitor Cells and Improves Functional Recovery after Spinal Cord Injury

• Bang WS
• Kim KT
• Seo YJ
• Cho DC
• Sung JK
• Kim CH

• KMID: 2403518
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3340/jkns.2017.0203.003

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
To investigates the effect of curcumin on proliferation of spinal cord neural stem/progenitor cells (SC-NSPCs) and functional outcome in a rat spinal cord injury (SCI) model.
METHODS
Sixty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly and blindly allocated into three groups (sham control group; curcumin treated group after SCI; vehicle treated group after SCI). Functional recovery was evaluated by the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) scale during 6 weeks after SCI. The expression of SC-NSPC proliferation and astrogliosis were analyzed by nestin/Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) staining. The injured spinal cord was then examined histologically, including quantification of cavitation.
RESULTS
The BBB score of the SCI-curcumin group was better than that of SCI-vehicle group up to 14 days (p < 0.05). The co-immunoreactivity of nestin/BrdU in the SCI-curcumin group was much higher than that of the SCI-vehicle group 1 week after surgery (p < 0.05). The GFAP immunoreactivity of the SCI-curcumin group was remarkably lower than that of the SCI-vehicle group 4 weeks after surgery (p < 0.05). The lesion cavity was significantly reduced in the curcumin group as compared to the control group (p < 0.05).
CONCLUSION
These results indicate that curcumin could increase the expression of SC-NSPCs, and reduce the activity of reactive astrogliosis and lesion cavity. Consequently curcumin could improve the functional recovery after SCI via SC-NSPC properties.

Keyword

Curcumin; Spinal cord injuries; Neural stem progenitor cells; Lesion cavity; Astrogliosis; Functional recovery

MeSH Terms

Adult
Animals
Curcumin*
Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein
Humans
Male
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Spinal Cord Injuries*
Spinal Cord*
Curcumin
Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Curcumin has biphasic effects on SC-NSPC proliferation. The SC-NSPC proliferation rate was quantified at different time points. After 72 hours of curcumin treatment, lower curcumin dosage (0.1 and 1 μmol/L) showed significant increase of NSPC proliferation. But higher dosage (5, 10, and 30 μmol/L) of curcumin decreased the NSPC proliferation rate. *Significantly increased compared with corresponding value for control group (p<0.05). NSPC : neural stem/progenitor cell, SC-NSPC : spinal cord NSPC.

• 

  Fig. 2 Fluoroscopic images demonstrating newly expressed neural stem/progenitor cells (co-expression of BrdU and Nestin). A : Sham group (Immunofluorescence, ×20). B : SCI-vehicle group (Immunofluorescence, ×20). C : SCI-curcumin group (Immunofluorescence, ×20). D : The bar graph reveals the quantification of cells positive for both BrdU and nestin in the spinal cord. Values in the histogram represent the means±standard deviation. *p<0.05, compared with the respective sham control. †p<0.05, compared with the respective vehicle control. Bars=50 μm. BrdU : Bromodeoxyuridine, SCI : spinal cord injury.

• 

  Fig. 3 Fluoroscopic images demonstrating the area of astrogliosis at 2 weeks after SCI. A : Sham group (Immunofluorescence, ×20). B : SCI-vehicle group (Immunofluorescence, ×20). C : SCI-curcumin group (Immunofluorescence, ×20). D : The bar graph reveals the quantification of Glial fibrillary acidic protein positive in the spinal cord. Values in the histogram represent the means±standard deviation. *p<0.05, compared with the respective sham control. †p<0.05, compared with the respective vehicle control. Bars=50 μm. SCI : spinal cord injury.

• 

  Fig. 4 Measurements of the average area of lesion cavity at the injury epicenter and adjacent sections at an interval of 2 mm up to 4 mm rostrally and caudally. A : SCI-vehicle group (Hemotoxyline & Eosin, ×4). B : SCI-curcumin group (Hemotoxyline & Eosin, ×4). C : Histogram (C) showing the cavitation volume of the spinal cord lesion in both groups. *p<0.05, compared with the respective vehicle control. R : rostral, C : caudal, SCI : spinal cord injury.

• 

  Fig. 5 Graph showing locomotor rating scale by BBB scores. BBB score of the SCI-curcumin group was significantly better than the vehicle-injected rats after 14 days SCI. *Indicates p<0.05, compared with the respective vehicle control. BBB : Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan, SCI : spinal cord injury.

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