Curcumin reduces injury progression in a rat comb burn model

The oriental spice curcumin has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. When given orally before injury, curcumin reduces burn progression in a rat comb burn model. The authors hypothesized that intravenous administration of curcumin after injury would reduce burn progression and that its effects are mediated through iron chelation. Two comb burns were created on the dorsum of Sprague-Dawley rats (weight, 300 g) using a brass comb with four rectangular prongs preheated in boiling water and applied for 30 seconds resulting in four rectangular 10 × 20 mm full-thickness burns separated by three 5 × 20 mm unburned interspaces (zone of ischemia). Animals were randomized to receive one of four doses of crude curcumin or one of six doses of purified curcumin intravenously 1 and 24 hours after injury. Another set of animals were randomized to deferoxamine or control vehicle. Wounds were observed at 7 days after injury for visual evidence of necrosis in the unburned interspaces. Full-thickness biopsies from the interspaces were evaluated with Hematoxylin and Eosin staining 7 days after injury for evidence of necrosis. The percentage of unburned interspaces undergoing necrosis at 1 week by purified curcumin doses was 0 μg/kg, 74%; 0.3 μg/kg, 58%; 1 μg/kg, 53%; 3 μg/kg, 37%; 10 μg/kg, 63%; 30 μg/kg, 53%; and 100 μg/kg, 26%. The differences among the groups were significant (P = .03). When compared with controls, the 1 and 3 μg/kg curcumin treatment groups had significantly less progression of interspaces to necrosis (P = .04 and .002) as did the 30 and 100 μg/kg treatment groups (P = .03 and <.001). Deferoxamine did not reduce burn progression. When administered intravenously 1 and 24 hours after injury, both crude and purified curcumin reduce the percentage of unburned interspaces that undergo necrosis in a rat hot comb burn model. The effects of purified curcumin appear to be bimodal, suggesting more than one mechanism of action. The effects of curcumin do not appear to be mediated by iron chelation.