Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Previous studies demonstrated that curcumin has widely anti-inflammatory effect and protects vascular endothelial cell against injury. 
OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of curcuma decoction on mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 in rats with vascular endothelial injury, and to explore the molecular mechanism of protection effects from the aspect of inflammatory reaction.
METHODS: Wistar rats were randomly divided equally into normal control, sham operation, model and curcuma groups. Rats were prepared for vascular endothelial injury models in the model and curcuma groups. At 24 hours after model preparation, rats in the curcuma group were intragastric administrated 100 mg/kg curcuma decoction, once per day, for 14 successive days. Rats in the model group were intragastric administrated 3 mL/d physiological saline. There was laparotomy suture without balloon catheter insertion in the sham operation group. All animals were sacrificed at 3, 7 and 14 days after operation. The expressions of MAPK, TNF-α and interleukin-6 were measured by ELISA assay. The morphological changes of vascular endothelial cells were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The expressions of MAPK, TNF-α and interleukin-6 in the curcuma group were significantly lower than those in the model and sham operation groups at 3, 7 and 14 days after operation (P < 0.05), especially at 14 days  (P < 0.05). Compared with other groups, the endometrial hyperplasia in the curcuma group was decreased at 7 days after operation (P < 0.05). The results showed that curcuma interference protects vascular endothelial cell via inhabiting TNF-α, interleukin-6 expressions and blocking MAPK signals.