Neuroprotective Effect of Curcumin on LPS-activated Astrocytes Is Related to the Prevention of GFAP and NF-κB Upregulation

Abstract

We examined the effects of 2.0 μM curcumin, a known antioxidant, on the cultures of normal rat astrocytes and of those subjected to the action of 0.01 μM lipopolysaccharide, LPS. As was found, 24-h-long exposure of astrocytes to LPS resulted in a relatively mild decrease in the cell viability of astrocytes (a decrement of 22%). The action of curcumin significantly ameliorated this decrease. LPS induced significant upregulation of GFAP, NF-κB, and poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase (PARP) in activated astrocytes. Curcumin significantly decreased these effects (to 60, 71, and 89% as compared to those in astrocytes subjected to isolated action of LPS). Thus, curcumin significantly prevents the decrease in cell viability and moderates the cytoskeleton rearrangements and disorders in NF-κBdependent regulation in astrocytes activated by LPS. © 2017, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.