Curcumin Mediates a Protective Effect Via TLR-4/NF-κB Signaling Pathway in Rat Model of Severe Acute Pancreatitis

Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is a common acute abdominal disease. This study was designed to investigate the preventive effects of curcumin on SAP and its possible mechanism of action. We observed increased volume of ascites, serum AMY, IL-6, and TNF-alpha levels, and expression of TLR-4 and NF-kappa B mRNA and protein in a rat model of SAP. Application of curcumin resulted in lower ascites volume and serum AMY. The levels of serum cytokines IL-10 and TNF-alpha were also significantly reduced after curcumin treatment, as evident from ELISA analysis. RT-PCR analysis showed down-regulation of TLR4 and NF-kappa B expressions as a function of curcumin treatment. Our results demonstrate the protective effect of curcumin in a rat model of SAP via the involvement of TLR-4/NF-kappa B signaling pathway.