Effect of Curcumin in Experimental Pulmonary Tuberculosis: Antimycobacterial Activity in the Lungs and Anti-Inflammatory Effect in the Brain

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences 2022-02, Vol.23 (4), p.1964
• Main Authors: Lara-Espinosa, Jacqueline V, Arce-Aceves, María Fernanda, López-Torres, Manuel O, Lozano-Ordaz, Vasti, Mata-Espinosa, Dulce, Barrios-Payán, Jorge, Silva-Islas, Carlos Alfredo, Maldonado, Perla D, Marquina-Castillo, Brenda, Hernández-Pando, Rogelio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alzheimer's disease; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents - pharmacology; antibacterial; Antibacterial activity; Antioxidants; Antitubercular Agents - pharmacology; Anxiety; Bacilli; Brain; Brain - metabolism; Brain - microbiology; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor - metabolism; Coronaviruses; COVID-19 vaccines; Curcumin; Curcumin - pharmacology; Cytokines; Disease Models, Animal; Drug dosages; Drug resistance; HIV; Human immunodeficiency virus; Infections; Inflammation; Inflammation - drug therapy; Inflammation - metabolism; Interleukin 1; Interleukin 12; Lung - metabolism; Lung - microbiology; Lung diseases; Lungs; Male; Mental depression; Mental disorders; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mycobacterium tuberculosis - drug effects; Natural products; neuroinflammation; Pandemics; Pneumonia; Social factors; Suicides & suicide attempts; Tuberculosis; Tuberculosis - drug therapy; Tuberculosis - metabolism; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - drug therapy; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - metabolism; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Tumor necrosis factor-α; γ-Interferon
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms23041964

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the ten leading causes of death worldwide. Patients with TB have been observed to suffer from depression and anxiety linked to social variables. Previous experiments found that the substantial pulmonary inflammation associated with TB causes neuroinflammation, neuronal death, and behavioral impairments in the absence of brain infection. Curcumin (CUR) is a natural product with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activities. In this work, we evaluated the CUR effect on the growth control of mycobacteria in the lungs and the anti-inflammatory effect in the brain using a model of progressive pulmonary TB in BALB/c mice infected with drug-sensitive mycobacteria (strain H37Rv). The results have shown that CUR decreased lung bacilli load and pneumonia of infected animals. Finally, CUR significantly decreased neuroinflammation (expression of TNFα, IFNγ and IL12) and slightly increased the levels of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related to factor 2 (Nrf2) and the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, improving behavioral status. These results suggest that CUR has a bactericidal effect and can control pulmonary mycobacterial infection and reduce neuroinflammation. It seems that CUR has a promising potential as adjuvant therapy in TB treatment.