Curcumin Prevents Cerebellar Hypoplasia and Restores the Behavior in Hyperbilirubinemic Gunn Rat by a Pleiotropic Effect on the Molecular Effectors of Brain Damage.
Int J Mol Sci
; 22(1)2020 Dec 30.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33396688
ABSTRACT
Bilirubin toxicity to the central nervous system (CNS) is responsible for severe and permanent neurologic damage, resulting in hearing loss, cognitive, and movement impairment. Timely and effective management of severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia by phototherapy or exchange transfusion is crucial for avoiding permanent neurological consequences, but these therapies are not always possible, particularly in low-income countries. To explore alternative options, we investigated a pharmaceutical approach focused on protecting the CNS from pigment toxicity, independently from serum bilirubin level. To this goal, we tested the ability of curcumin, a nutraceutical already used with relevant results in animal models as well as in clinics in other diseases, in the Gunn rat, the spontaneous model of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. Curcumin treatment fully abolished the landmark cerebellar hypoplasia of Gunn rat, restoring the histological features, and reverting the behavioral abnormalities present in the hyperbilirubinemic rat. The protection was mediated by a multi-target action on the main bilirubin-induced pathological mechanism ongoing CNS damage (inflammation, redox imbalance, and glutamate neurotoxicity). If confirmed by independent studies, the result suggests the potential of curcumin as an alternative/complementary approach to bilirubin-induced brain damage in the clinical scenario.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Comportamento Animal
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Lesões Encefálicas
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Cerebelo
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Modelos Animais de Doenças
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Hiperbilirrubinemia
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Malformações do Sistema Nervoso
Limite:
Animals
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Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Int J Mol Sci
Ano de publicação:
2020
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Itália