Curcumin Requires Tumor Necrosis Factor α Signaling to Alleviate Cognitive Impairment Elicited by Lipopolysaccharide

A decline in cognitive ability is a typical feature of the normal aging process, and of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. Although their etiologies differ, all of these disorders involve local activation of innate immune pathways a...

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Main Authors: E.M. Kawamoto, C. Scavone, M.P. Mattson, S. Camandola
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cell Physiol Biochem Press GmbH & Co KG 2012-05-01
Series:Neurosignals
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/336074
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author E.M. Kawamoto
C. Scavone
M.P. Mattson
S. Camandola
author_facet E.M. Kawamoto
C. Scavone
M.P. Mattson
S. Camandola
author_sort E.M. Kawamoto
collection DOAJ
description A decline in cognitive ability is a typical feature of the normal aging process, and of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. Although their etiologies differ, all of these disorders involve local activation of innate immune pathways and associated inflammatory cytokines. However, clinical trials of anti-inflammatory agents in neurodegenerative disorders have been disappointing, and it is therefore necessary to better understand the complex roles of the inflammatory process in neurological dysfunction. The dietary phytochemical curcumin can exert anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and neuroprotective actions. Here we provide evidence that curcumin ameliorates cognitive deficits associated with activation of the innate immune response by mechanisms requiring functional tumor necrosis factor α receptor 2 (TNFR2) signaling. In vivo, the ability of curcumin to counteract hippocampus-dependent spatial memory deficits, to stimulate neuroprotective mechanisms such as upregulation of BDNF, to decrease glutaminase levels, and to modulate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor levels was absent in mice lacking functional TNFRs. Curcumin treatment protected cultured neurons against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity by a mechanism requiring TNFR2 activation. Our results suggest the possibility that therapeutic approaches against cognitive decline designed to selectively enhance TNFR2 signaling are likely to be more beneficial than the use of anti-inflammatory drugs per se.
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spelling doaj.art-f0b7130babb84304b34058b59060504f2022-12-22T03:55:57ZengCell Physiol Biochem Press GmbH & Co KGNeurosignals1424-862X1424-86382012-05-01211-2758810.1159/000336074336074Curcumin Requires Tumor Necrosis Factor α Signaling to Alleviate Cognitive Impairment Elicited by LipopolysaccharideE.M. KawamotoC. ScavoneM.P. MattsonS. CamandolaA decline in cognitive ability is a typical feature of the normal aging process, and of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. Although their etiologies differ, all of these disorders involve local activation of innate immune pathways and associated inflammatory cytokines. However, clinical trials of anti-inflammatory agents in neurodegenerative disorders have been disappointing, and it is therefore necessary to better understand the complex roles of the inflammatory process in neurological dysfunction. The dietary phytochemical curcumin can exert anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and neuroprotective actions. Here we provide evidence that curcumin ameliorates cognitive deficits associated with activation of the innate immune response by mechanisms requiring functional tumor necrosis factor α receptor 2 (TNFR2) signaling. In vivo, the ability of curcumin to counteract hippocampus-dependent spatial memory deficits, to stimulate neuroprotective mechanisms such as upregulation of BDNF, to decrease glutaminase levels, and to modulate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor levels was absent in mice lacking functional TNFRs. Curcumin treatment protected cultured neurons against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity by a mechanism requiring TNFR2 activation. Our results suggest the possibility that therapeutic approaches against cognitive decline designed to selectively enhance TNFR2 signaling are likely to be more beneficial than the use of anti-inflammatory drugs per se.http://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/336074Tumor necrosis factor αCurcuminCognitionInflammationLipopolysaccharide
spellingShingle E.M. Kawamoto
C. Scavone
M.P. Mattson
S. Camandola
Curcumin Requires Tumor Necrosis Factor α Signaling to Alleviate Cognitive Impairment Elicited by Lipopolysaccharide
Neurosignals
Tumor necrosis factor α
Curcumin
Cognition
Inflammation
Lipopolysaccharide
title Curcumin Requires Tumor Necrosis Factor α Signaling to Alleviate Cognitive Impairment Elicited by Lipopolysaccharide
title_full Curcumin Requires Tumor Necrosis Factor α Signaling to Alleviate Cognitive Impairment Elicited by Lipopolysaccharide
title_fullStr Curcumin Requires Tumor Necrosis Factor α Signaling to Alleviate Cognitive Impairment Elicited by Lipopolysaccharide
title_full_unstemmed Curcumin Requires Tumor Necrosis Factor α Signaling to Alleviate Cognitive Impairment Elicited by Lipopolysaccharide
title_short Curcumin Requires Tumor Necrosis Factor α Signaling to Alleviate Cognitive Impairment Elicited by Lipopolysaccharide
title_sort curcumin requires tumor necrosis factor α signaling to alleviate cognitive impairment elicited by lipopolysaccharide
topic Tumor necrosis factor α
Curcumin
Cognition
Inflammation
Lipopolysaccharide
url http://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/336074
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AT mpmattson curcuminrequirestumornecrosisfactorasignalingtoalleviatecognitiveimpairmentelicitedbylipopolysaccharide
AT scamandola curcuminrequirestumornecrosisfactorasignalingtoalleviatecognitiveimpairmentelicitedbylipopolysaccharide