Open AccessProtective Effect of Curcumin on the Density of Hippocampal Dark Neurons in Mice Model of Aging Induced by D-Galactose: A Histopathological Study
Author(s) -
Zahra Heidari,
Shabnam Mohammadi,
Mahdieh Yousefi Taba
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
pharmaceutical and biomedical research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2423-4494
pISSN - 2423-4486
DOI - 10.18502/pbr.v5i4.2398
Subject(s) - curcumin , curcuma , galactose , chemistry , hippocampus , zingiberaceae , hippocampal formation , antioxidant , analysis of variance , pharmacology , medicine , rhizome , endocrinology , traditional medicine , biochemistry
Background: Curcumin is the most active ingredient in turmeric root of Curcuma longa of the
Zingiberaceae family and has a potent antioxidant activity. This study aimed at investigating
the effects of curcumin with various doses on the density of dark neurons in the hippocampus
of induced D-galactose aging mice model. This experimental study was conducted on 40
adult male BALB/c mice.
Materials and Methods: We randomly divided animals into 5 groups: D-galactose,
control, and curcumin 1, curcumin 2, and curcumin 3 groups. D-galactose (300 mg/kg) was
intraperitoneally injected into the D-galactose group for 6 weeks. D-galactose and doses of
25, 50, and 100 mg of curcumin were administrated, respectively, to the curcumin groups
1-3 every day for 14 days. After 6 weeks, the mice’s brains were stained with toluidine blue
after tissue passage. Then, the mean dark neuron volume density in each unit of the tissue
was assessed using stereological formulas. The obtained data were analyzed by Aanlysis of
Variance (ANOVA) in SPSS.
Results: Compared with the control group, the average number of dark neurons in the hippocampus
significantly increased following the administration of D-galactose (P=0.001). The average dark
neurons frequency in the hippocampus significantly decreased in the 50 and 100 mg/kg curcumintreated
groups (P=0.001 for both) compared to that of the D-galactose treated animals.
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that treatment with 100 mg/kg of curcumin
reduced the number of dark neurons in the hippocampus of the aging mice. It seems that
curcumin decreases dark neurons via the reduction of apoptosis. Also, curcumin is a powerful
antioxidant and affects the level of antioxidant status in the brain.