Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2004 Apr 16;316(4):1065-72. Links
Curcumin blocks NF-kappaB and the motogenic response in Helicobacter pylori-infected epithelial cells.Foryst-Ludwig A, Neumann M, Schneider-Brachert W, Naumann M.
Institute of Experimental Internal Medicine, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Leipziger Str. 44, Magdeburg 39120, Germany.

Infection of epithelial cells by the microbial pathogen Helicobacter pylori leads to activation of the transcription factor nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB), the induction of pro-inflammatory cytokine/chemokine genes, and the motogenic response (cell scattering). Here we report that H. pylori-induced NF-kappaB activation and the subsequent release of interleukin 8 (IL-8) are inhibited by curcumin (diferuloylmethane), a yellow pigment in turmeric (Curcuma longa L.). Our results demonstrate that curcumin inhibits IkappaBalpha degradation, the activity of IkappaB kinases alpha and beta (IKKalpha and beta), and NF-kappaB DNA-binding. The mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK), extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) and p38, which are also activated by H. pylori infection, were not inhibited by curcumin. Further, the H. pylori-induced motogenic response was blocked by curcumin. We conclude that curcumin, due to inhibition of NF-kappaB activation and cell scattering, should be considered as a potential therapeutic agent effective against pathogenic processes initiated by H. pylori infection.

PMID: 15044093 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15044093