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Curcumin, a yellow pigment of turmeric in curry, is reported to interfere with nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB. This study was designed to investigate the underlying pathway of antiinflammation of curcumin on endothelial cells. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were stimulated with 10 ng/mL tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha. Curcumin blocked the activation of NF-kappaB by TNF-alpha. Curcumin also reduced the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), monocyte adhesion, phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), p38, and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-3 in TNF-alpha-stimulated HUVECs. The expression of intracellular cell adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, and interleukin (IL)-8 were attenuated by curcumin at both mRNA and protein level. Curcumin, however, did not affect the expression of TNF receptor I and II in TNF-alpha-stimulated HUVECs. We suggest that curcumin could contribute to protection against the adverse vascular effect of the proinflammatory response through the modulation of p38 and STAT-3 in addition to NF-kappaB and JNK in endothelial cells.
Kim et al. (Sun,) studied this question.