Abstract Title:

Curcumin enhances human macrophage control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.

Abstract Source:

Respirology. 2016 Mar 24. Epub 2016 Mar 24. PMID: 27012592

Abstract Author(s):

Xiyuan Bai, Rebecca E Oberley-Deegan, An Bai, Alida R Ovrutsky, William H Kinney, Michael Weaver, Gong Zhang, Jennifer R Honda, Edward D Chan

Article Affiliation:

Xiyuan Bai

Abstract:

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: With the worldwide emergence of highly drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB), novel agents that have direct antimycobacterial effects or that enhance host immunity are urgently needed. Curcumin is a polyphenol responsible for the bright yellow-orange colour of turmeric, a spice derived from the root of the perennial herb Curcuma longa. Curcumin is a potent inducer of apoptosis-an effector mechanism used by macrophages to kill intracellular Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB).

METHODS: An in vitro human macrophage infection model was used to determine the effects of curcumin on MTB survival.

RESULTS: We found that curcumin enhanced the clearance of MTB in differentiated THP-1 human monocytes and in primary human alveolar macrophages. We also found that curcumin was an inducer of caspase-3-dependent apoptosis and autophagy. Curcumin mediated these anti-MTB cellular functions, in part, via inhibition of nuclear factor-kappa B (NFκB) activation.

CONCLUSION: Curcumin protects against MTB infection in human macrophages. The host-protective role of curcumin against MTB in macrophages needs confirmation in an animal model; if validated, the immunomodulatory anti-TB effects of curcumin would be less prone to drug resistance development.

Study Type : In Vitro Study

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