Curcumin-induced histone acetylation inhibition improves stress-induced gastric ulcer disease in rats

Curcumin is known to possess anti-inflammatory properties. Despite the fact that curcumin is known to be a strong inhibitor of H+, K+-ATPase activity, the mechanism underlying the curcumin-induced inhibition of the transcription of the H+, K+-ATPase a subunit in gastric mucosal parietal cells remains unclear. The present study investigated the possible mechanism by which curcumin inhibits stomach H+, K+-ATPase activity during the acute phase of gastric ulcer disease. A rat model of stress-induced gastric ulcers was produced, in which the anti-ulcer effects of curcumin were examined. Curcumin-induced inhibition of the H+, K+-ATPase promoter via histone acetylation, was verified using a chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. The results showed that curcumin improved stress-induced gastric ulcer disease in rats, as demonstrated by increased pH values and reduced gastric mucosal hemorrhage and ulcer index. These effects were accompanied by a significant reduction in the level of histone H3 acetylation at the site of their, H+, K+-ATPase promoter and in the expression of the gastric H+, K+-ATPase a subunit gene and protein. In conclusion, curcumin downregulated the acetylation of histone H3 at the site of the H+, K+-ATPase promoter gene, thereby inhibiting the transcription and expression of the H+, K+-ATPase gene. Curcumin was shown to have a preventive and therapeutic effect in gastric ulcer disease.