Therapeutic role of curcumin in prevention of biochemical and behavioral aberration induced by alcoholic neuropathy in laboratory animals

Painful peripheral neuropathy induced by chronic ethanol consumption is a major medico-socioeconomical problem. The objective of present investigation was to study the effect of curcumin (20,40 and 80 mg/kg; p.o.) in alcohol-induced neuropathy in rats. Ethanol (35% v/v, 10 g/kg; p.o.) was administered for 10 weeks which showed a significant decrease in thermal hyperalgesia, mechanical hyperalgesia, mechanical allodynia and nerve conduction velocity. It caused enhanced malondialdehyde, oxidative-nitrosative stress, total calcium levels, inflammatory mediators (TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta levels) along with DNA damage. Co-administration of curcumin and a-tocopherol for 10 weeks significantly and dose-dependently improved nerve functions, biochemical as well as molecular parameters and DNA damage in sciatic nerve of ethanol treated rats. Hence, it was concluded that curcumin is of potent therapeutic value in the amelioration of alcoholic neuropathy in rats and acts by inhibition of pro-inflammatory mediators like TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.