Research in Molecular Medicine (Jan 2015)
Effect of Curcumin on the Hypothalamus Levels of the Potent Inhibitory Neurotransmitter ,Gamma aminobutyric acid
Abstract
Background: There are some reports in the literature showing that hypothalamus synthesizes and secretes amino acid neurotransmitters. According to several studies, elevated serum levels of gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA), a potent inhibitory neurotransmitter, have recently been implicated in the pathogenesis of neural diseases. The purpose of this research was to estimate the effects of curcumin on GABA’s level in rat's hypothalamus. Materials and Methods: We used a standard animal model of rats (n=18) with mean weight 190-210 g, to determine the effects of administration of curcumin at the end of the experimental period, one week, two weeks, four weeks and eight weeks ,at doses of 250 mg/kg and 625 mg/kg on GABA level in hypothalamus. On the day of experiment, hypothalamus was extracted and homogenized through a 10 -µm filter, rinsed with PBS, re-filtered, and centrifuged at 1200 rpm for 15 min. Then rat hypothalamus was weighed, and homogenized (10% w/v) in 0.1 M PBS with poltroon homogenizer at pH 7.4. Homogenates were used immediately for determination of GABA level. Quantifications of GABA in all samples were performed by enzymatic method. Results: Our results indicate that curcumin has a potential to increase GABA content in the rats' hypothalamus. These results suggest that curcumin holds promise as a natural agent to control or decrease the signs of lack of GABA level. Conclusion: Curcumin may be used clinically as a neuro-protective drug for treatment of patients suffering from neuron damage.
