Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2012, Vol. 7 ›› Issue (3): 171-175.

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Protective effects of curcumin against human immunodeficiency virus 1 gp120 V3 loop-induced neuronal injury in rats

Zheng Gong1, 2, 3, Lijuan Yang1, 2, 3, Hongmei Tang1, 2, 3, Rui Pan4, Sai Xie1, 2, 3, Luyan Guo1, 2, 3, Junbin Wang1, 2, 3, Qinyin Deng1, 2, 3, Guoyin Xiong1, 2, 3, Yanyan Xing1, 2, 3, Jun Dong1, 2, 3   

  1. 1 Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Medical College of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong Province, China
    2 Institute of Brain Research, Medical College of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong Province, China
    3 Joint Laboratory for Brain Function and Health of Jinan University and the University of Hongkong, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong Province, China
    4 Department of Orthopedics, First Affiliated Hospital, Medical College of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong Province, China
  • Received:2011-08-09 Revised:2011-11-20 Online:2012-01-25 Published:2012-01-25
  • Contact: Jun Dong, Master, Doctoral supervisor, 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 Hongkong, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong Province, China donjunbox@163.com
  • About author:Zheng Gong☆, Studying for doctorate, 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 Hongkong, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong Province, China Zheng Gong and Lijuan Yang contributed equally to this work.

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Abstract:

Curcumin improves the learning and memory deficits in rats induced by the gp120 V3 loop. The present study cultured rat hippocampal neurons with 1 nM gp120 V3 loop and 1 μM curcumin for 24 hours. The results showed that curcumin inhibited the gp120 V3 loop-induced mitochondrial membrane potential decrease, reduced the mRNA expression of the pro-apoptotic gene caspase-3, and attenuated hippocampal neuronal injury.

Key words: curcumin, gp120 V3 loop, hippocampal neurons, mitochondrial membrane potential, caspase-3, human immunodeficiency virus-associated neurocognitive function, neural regeneration