J Korean Neurosurg Soc.  2014 Jul;56(1):1-4. 10.3340/jkns.2014.56.1.1.

Curcumin Stimulates Proliferation of Spinal Cord Neural Progenitor Cells via a Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling Pathway

• Son S
• Kim KT
• Cho DC
• Kim HJ
• Sung JK
• Bae JS

• KMID: 2067068
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3340/jkns.2014.56.1.1

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
The aims of our study are to evaluate the effect of curcumin on spinal cord neural progenitor cell (SC-NPC) proliferation and to clarify the mechanisms of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase signaling pathways in SC-NPCs.
METHODS
We established cultures of SC-NPCs, extracted from the spinal cord of Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 250 g to 350 g. We measured proliferation rates of SC-NPCs after curcumin treatment at different dosage. The immuno-blotting method was used to evaluate the MAP kinase signaling protein that contains extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs), p38, c-Jun NH2-terminal kinases (JNKs) and beta-actin as the control group.
RESULTS
Curcumin has a biphasic effect on SC-NPC proliferation. Lower dosage (0.1, 0.5, 1 microM) of curcumin increased SC-NPC proliferation. However, higher dosage decreased SC-NPC proliferation. Also, curcumin stimulates proliferation of SC-NPCs via the MAP kinase signaling pathway, especially involving the p-ERK and p-38 protein. The p-ERK protein and p38 protein levels varied depending on curcumin dosage (0.5 and 1 microM, p<0.05).
CONCLUSION
Curcumin can stimulate proliferation of SC-NPCs via ERKs and the p38 signaling pathway in low concentrations.

Keyword

Curcumin; Spinal cord neural progenitor cell; Mitogen activated protein kinase

MeSH Terms

Actins
Curcumin*
Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases
Phosphotransferases
Protein Kinases*
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Spinal Cord*
Stem Cells*
Actins
Curcumin
Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases
Phosphotransferases
Protein Kinases

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Curcumin has biphasic effects on SC-NPC proliferation. The SC-NPC proliferation rate was quantified at different time points. After 48 hrs of curcumin treatment, lower curcumindosage (0.1, 0.5, 1 µM) increased NPC proliferation. But higher dosage (10, 20, 50 µM) of curcumin decreased the NPC proliferation rate. *Significantly increased compared with corresponding value for control group (p<0.05). SC-NPC : spinal cord neural progenitor cell.

• 

  Fig. 2 The images show that different cell proliferation between the control group and curcumin treated group. Microscopically, the curcumin treated group (A) had increased cell proliferation and neurosphere formation compared with the control group (B).

• 

  Fig. 3 Curcumin stimulates proliferation of NPCs via the MAP kinase signaling pathway, and ERK and p38 proteins are connected with this MAP pathway. A : Immunoblot analysis was used by antibodies against phospho-ERK, phospo-p38, phospho-JNK. The phospho-ERK protein level increased with curcumin dosage of 0.5, 1 µM and the phospho-p38 protein level also showedanincrease. But phospho-JNK and β-actin protein levels show a marginal difference with curcumin dosage. Levels of β-actin were determined as a control against possible protein loading variability. B : Phospho-ERK and phospho-p38 protein levels increased via curcumin dosage-dependence (p<0.05). *Significant increased protein level compared with control group. NPC : neural progenitor cell, MAP : mitogen-activated protein, ERK : extracellular signal-regulated kinase, JNK : c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase.

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