Effect of curcumin on the expression of Bax and bcl-2 during cerebral ischemia in rat hippocampus

Objects To investigate whether the neuroprotective effect of curcumin on transient brain ischemia/reperfusion is related to the non-nuclear pathway of JNK.Methods SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: sham group,ischemia group,vehicle group and curcumin treatment group.Transient(15 min) brain ischemia was induced by using the four-vessel occlusion method in SD rats.Immunoblotting was used to detect the expression of bcl-2 and Bax.Curcumin 40mg/kg was administrated to the rats in treatment group 20 min before ischemia.Results It was found that cerebral ischemia enhanced the expression of Bax and inhibited the expression of bcl-2.Pretreatment of curcumin could inhibit the expression of Bax and enhance the expression of bcl-2.The Bax expression in ischemia group,curcumin treatment group and vehicle group was 2.6,1.4 and 2.4 folds that in the sham group respectively;the bcl-2 expression in ischemia group,curcumin treatment group and vehicle group was 0.5,0.9 and 0.6 folds that in the sham group respectively.Conclusion The neuroprotection of curcumin may be related to the non-nuclear pathway of JNK.