[Animal Modeling]-Antioxidant stress effect of curcumin in rats with traumatic brain injury

  Objective: To investigate the changes in the content or activity of nuclear factor E2 transcription-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and anti-oxidative stress-related factors in rats with traumatic brain injury, and to study the protective effect of curcumin on rat brain injury and anti-oxidative stress mechanism.

  Methods: Twenty SPF male SD rats were selected and divided into normal control group, brain injury model group (TBI group), brain injury solvent group (TBI+S group), brain injury curcumin treatment group (TBI+C group) , 5 in each group. Among them, the normal control group was only given anesthesia and normal saline treatment. The TBI group, TBI+S group and TBI+C group were all modeled with a free-fall traumatic brain injury model device, and then the same amount was given. Treated with normal saline, DMSO solvent (0.05%) and curcumin (5mg/kg), 1 day later, all rats were sacrificed and brain tissues were taken, RNA and protein were extracted. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect Nrf2 Western Blot to detect the expression of Nrf2 protein. Chemical colorimetric method to detect the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) in rat brain tissue homogenate. Catalase (CAT) And the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detects the content of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1).

  Results: Compared with the normal control group, the expression of Nrf2 mRNA and protein in the brain tissues of the TBI group and TBI+S group increased significantly, the MDA content, iNOS and HO-1 activities increased, GSH content, SOD and CAT activities Compared with the TBI group and the TBI+S group, the mRNA and protein expression levels of Nrf2 in the TBI+C group were significantly reduced, and the MDA content, iNOS and HO-1 activities were all reduced , GSH content, SOD and CAT activities all increased, the difference was significant (P<0.05), while the difference between TBI group and TBI+S group was not significant (P<0.05).

  Conclusion: Curcumin has an anti-oxidative stress effect on rats with brain injury. It can reduce the expression of Nrf2 and change the body's anti-oxidant damage related indicators, which may play a protective effect on TBI brain tissue.