Curcumin attenuates vascular inflammation and cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage in mice

Cerebral vasospasm is a major cause of death and disability after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH); however, clinical therapies to limit the development of cerebral vasospasm are lacking. Although the causative factors underlying the development of cerebral vasospasm are poorly understood, oxidative stress contributes to disease progression. In the present study, curcumin (150 or 300 mg/kg) protected against the development of cerebral vasospasm and limited secondary cerebral infarction after SAH in mice. The protective effect of curcumin was associated with a significant attenuation of inflammatory gene expression and lipid peroxidation within the cerebral cortex and the middle cerebral artery. Despite the ability of curcumin to limit the development of cerebral vasospasm and secondary infarction, behavioral outcome was not improved, indicating a dissociation between cerebral vasospasm and neurologic outcome. Together, these data indicate a novel role for curcumin as a possible adjunct therapy after SAH, both to prevent the development of cerebral vasospasm and to reduce oxidative brain injury after secondary infarction.