Curcumin Attenuates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Neuroinflammation and Memory Deficiency by Inhibiting Microglia Activation in Mice Hippocampus

Background. Curcumin has a variety of properties, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory ones, and has demonstrated some protective prospects on neurological conditions. 
Aim: This study explored the neuroprotective ability of curcumin in lipopolysaccharide-induced neuroinflammation in an animal model. 
Methods. A total of thirty-two adult male mice were randomly assigned to four groups (A, B, C, and D, n=8): Group A (Control) received distilled water; Group B was administered lipopolysaccharide (LPS) only to induce neuroinflammation for seven days; Group C was treated with both LPS and curcumin simultaneously for fourteen days; Group D received only curcumin for fourteen days. After appropriate exposure to the mice, their cognitive abilities were assessed using the Y-maze and novel object recognition tests. At the termination of the administration period, the mice were sacrificed, and the hippocampi were dissected for histology and immunostaining using GFAP and Iba1. Statistical analysis for the data generated was done with GraphPad prism. Tests of significance were with one-way ANOVA and Tukey tests for post-hoc. 
Results. Curcumin significantly (p < 0.05) increased object recognition, mean alternation, and markedly restored neuronal distortion caused by LPS toxicity in the CA3 region and the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus of Group C animals as compared to Group B. In addition, curcumin significantly down-regulated Iba1 expression and GFAP cell activities of both the CA3 region and the dentate gyrus. 
Conclusions. Curcumin showed a promising role in attenuating LPS-induced neuroinflammation in the brain by inhibiting microglial activation and improving memory of neurotoxic mice.