Curcumin suppresses Interleukin-6 expression in rat smooth muscle cells by inhibition of map kinase signaling pathways

In atherosclerotic plaques, infectious agents from microbes may release lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and heat shock proteins that can stimulate the production of mediators, i.e. pro-inflammatory cytokines, by vascular endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells (SMCs). The elevated level of interleukin-6 (IL-6) is strongly associated with the development of atherosclerosis. Here, we investigated whether curcumin isolated from the rhizome of Curcuma longa affected the expression of IL-6at protein and gene levels in rat smooth muscle cells treated with LPS in vitro by conducting ELISA and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays. LPS at 2µg/ml activated the expression of IL-6 protein and mRNA in SMCs. Curcumin (1–15µM) caused the decreased levels of IL-6 protein and mRNA in the dose-dependent manner in LPS-induced SMCs, indicating its potential antiatherosclerotic effect for cardiovascular risk management. In addition, curcumin also partially blocked the activation of LPS-induced phosphorylation of MAP kinases, i.e. ERK1/2, p38, and JNK, in SMCs, suggesting it may inhibit IL-6 expression via attenuating MAP kinase signaling pathways in LPS-induced SMCs. These data may in part explain the molecular action of antiatherosclerotic effects of curcumin.