Visit our Expo - Redox and Inflammation signaling 2012

REGULATION OF INFLAMMATION AND GLUCOCORTICOID SIGNALING BY
CURCUMIN AND RESVERATROL
Dr. Irfan Rahman
Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center,
Rochester, NY. Email: irfan_rahman@urmc.rochester.edu
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a key role in enhancing the inflammation through the
activation NF-kappaB and AP-1 transcription factors, and nuclear histone acetylation and
deacetylation (chromatin remodeling) in various inflammatory diseases. We have recently
shown that oxidative stress enhances lung inflammation via expression of pro-inflammatory
mediators through inhibition of histone deacetylase activity and NF-kappaB transactivation in
monocytes/macrophages and epithelial cells. We also show the antioxidant and/or antiinflammatory
effects of dietary polyphenols (curcumin-diferuloylmethane, a principal
component of turmeric) and resveratrol (a flavanoid found in red wine), in the control of NFkB
activation, upregulation of glutathione biosynthesis gene via Nrf2 activation, scavenging
effect of ROS by inducing glutathione peroxidase activity, chromatin remodeling and
subsequently inflammatory gene regulation in macrophages and lung epithelial cells. We
further demonstrate that these dietary polyphenols restore glucocorticoid functions (antiinflammatory
property) in response to oxidative stress by upregulation of histone deacetylase
activity. The anti-inflammatory property of curcumin and resveratrol may be due to its ability
to induce histone deacetylase activity by reversing the post-translationally modified proteins.
These data provide new information on regulation of inflammatory response by dietary
polyphenols at the molecular level and possibly a way forward to inhibit chronic
inflammatory response in various diseases.
- 86 -