Curcumin and Its Semisynthetic Derivative F-Curcumin Ameliorate the Expression of Cytokines in Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis Mouse Models of Multiple Sclerosis

Saeid Khosropour; Elahe Shahvarooghi; Hossein Rezaeizadeh; Maryam Esmaeelzadeh

doi:10.18502/ijaai.v22i6.14646

Saeid Khosropour Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Elahe Shahvarooghi Departement of Biology, Damghan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Damghan, Iran
Hossein Rezaeizadeh Department of Traditional Medicine, School of Persian Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Maryam Esmaeelzadeh Department of Phytochemistry, Medicinal Plants and Drugs Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijaai.v22i6.14646

Keywords: Autoimmune encephalomyelitis; Curcumin; Inflammation; Multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disorder impacting the central nervous system, with cytokines significantly influencing its pathogenesis. This study investigates the effect of curcumin and its semisynthetic derivative F-curcumin on cytokine gene expression in autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mouse models of MS.

We assessed the expression levels of specific cytokines including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-4, IL- 10, IL-17, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), alongside key transcription factors for helper T cells (T-bet, GATA-3, RORγt, and FoxP3) in both the spinal cord and spleen.

Treatment with curcumin and F-curcumin significantly ameliorated the severity and onset of EAE. Notably, mice administered with either compound showed a substantial decrease in the expression of genes encoding IL-1 (2 folds), IFN-γ (2 and 4 folds), and IL-17 (2.5 and 3.5 folds), alongside a marked increase in TGF-β (7 folds) and IL-10 (4 and 6 folds) levels. Additionally, the gene expression of T cell-derived transcription factors nearly mirrored the changes observed in pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines across the groups. The F-curcumin-treated group exhibited more pronounced results.

In conclusion, curcumin and F-curcumin significantly modulate cytokine gene expression during EAE induction, potentially alleviating inflammation in MS, with F-curcumin showing a more substantial effect.