Curcumin ameliorates hippocampal neuron damage induced by human immunodeficiency virus-1

Hongmei Tang; Rui Pan; Wenli Fang; Yanyan Xing; Dexi Chen; Xiaobao Chen; Yuanyuan Yu; Junbing Wang; Zheng Gong; Guoyin Xiong; Jun Dong

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.15.003

Curcumin ameliorates hippocampal neuron damage induced by human immunodeficiency virus-1

Neural Regen Res. 2013 May 25;8(15):1368-75. doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.15.003.

Authors

Hongmei Tang¹, Rui Pan², Wenli Fang³, Yanyan Xing¹, Dexi Chen⁴, Xiaobao Chen³, Yuanyuan Yu³, Junbing Wang¹, Zheng Gong¹, Guoyin Xiong¹, Jun Dong¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Medical College of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong Province, China ; Institute of Brain Research, Medical College of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong Province, China ; Joint Laboratory for Brain Function and Health of Jinan University and the University of Hong Kong, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong Province, China.
² Department of Orthopedics, First Affiliated Hospital, Medical College of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong Province, China.
³ Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Medical College of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong Province, China.
⁴ STD/AIDS Research Lab, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.

PMID: 25206431
PMCID: PMC4107768
DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.15.003

Abstract

Our previous studies have shown that infection with the gp120 V3 loop can cause human immunodeficiency virus-1 associated neurocognitive disorders. Curcumin has been shown to improve these effects to some degree, but the precise mechanisms remain unknown. The present study analyzed the neuroprotective effect and mechanism of curcumin in relation to hippocampal neurons. Results showed that 1 nmol/L gp120 V3 loop suppressed the growth of synapses. After administration of 1 μmol/L curcumin, synaptic growth improved. Curcumin is neuroprotective against gp120 V3 loop-induced neuronal damage by inhibiting the activation of L-type calcium currents, relieving intracellular Ca(2+) overload, promoting Bcl-2 expression, and inhibiting Bax activation. The effect of curcumin was identical to nimodipine, suggesting that curcumin has the same neuroprotective effects against gp120 V3 loop-induced neuronal damage.

Keywords: Ca2+; apoptosis; curcumin; gp120 V3 loop; grants-supported paper; human immunodeficiency virus-1 associated neurocognitive disorders; neural regeneration; neuroregeneration; synapse; traditional Chinese medicine.