Curcumin attenuates surgery-induced cognitive dysfunction in aged mice

Abstract

Post-operative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is associated with elderly patients undergoing surgery. However, pharmacological treatments for POCD are limited. In this study, we found that curcumin, an active compound derived from Curcuma longa, ameliorated the cognitive dysfunction following abdominal surgery in aged mice. Further, curcumin prevented surgery-induced anti-oxidant enzyme activity. Curcumin also increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-positive area and expression of pAkt in the brain, suggesting that curcumin activated BDNF signaling in aged mice. Furthermore, curcumin neutralized cholinergic dysfunction involving choline acetyltransferase expression induced by surgery. These results strongly suggested that curcumin prevented cognitive impairments via multiple targets, possibly by increasing the activity of anti-oxidant enzymes, activation of BDNF signaling, and neutralization of cholinergic dysfunction, concurrently. Based on these novel findings, curcumin might be a potential agent in POCD prophylaxis and treatment.

Hyperhomocysteinemia is key for increased susceptibility to PND in aged mice

“…These candidates include anti‐inflammatory agents such as RAGE antagonist FPSZM1, berberine, microglia activation inhibitor minocyclin, anti‐inflammatory cytokine IL‐4, and glycyrrhizin, a natural high‐mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) inhibitor . Another type of agents are oxidative stress inhibitors such as curcumin, edaravone, and apocynin . In clinical study, intraoperative dexmedetomidine was reported to reduce the incidence of PND along with decreased levels of β‐amyloid and Tau protein accumulation .…”

Postoperative cognitive recovery in children after both general and locoregional anesthesia and surgery

“…In the same perspective, curcumin, an active ingredient of plant Curcuma longa, is apparently effective in treating POP related to GA and surgery in human (Agarwal et al 2011;Maulina et al 2018), and in mice (Sahbaie et al 2014). As well as suppressing of neuro-in ammatory activation associated with neurodegenerative diseases (Sundaram et al 2017), and preventing anesthetics exposure-induced POCD in mice (Ji et al 2015;Wu et al 2017). The effects of curcumin were probably prompted by enhancing the anti-oxidant enzyme activity, and activation of BDNF (Wu et al 2017).…”

Nicotinate‐curcumin ameliorates cognitive impairment in diabetic rats by rescuing autophagic flux in CA1 hippocampus

“…Accumulating evidences have confirmed that DM is a major pathogenesis factor for cognitive deficits . Curcumin has been shown to be an effective agent for attenuating diabetic encephalopathy and improving surgery‐induced cognitive dysfunction in mice . In this study, we first explored the effects of the curcumin derivative NC on learning and memory performances of rats with DM induced by STZ.…”

“…4,5,26 Curcumin has been shown to be an effective agent for attenuating diabetic encephalopathy and improving surgery-induced cognitive dysfunction in mice . 17,18,27 In this study, we first explored the effects of the curcumin derivative NC on learning and memory performances of rats with DM induced by STZ. Our results revealed that the declined cognitive functions in DM rats were significantly reserved by NC treatment, as evidenced by decreases in escape latency as well as increases in times across target quadrant in MWM test, and elevated DI in the novel object recognition test.…”