Curcumin alone and in combination with augmentin protects against pulmonaryinflammation and acute lung injury generated during Klebsiella pneumoniae B5055-induced lung infection in BALB/c mice

Abstract

Acute lung injuries due to acute lung infections remain a major cause ofmortality. Thus a combination of an antibiotic and a compound with immunomodulatoryand anti-inflammatory activities can help to overcome acute lung infection-inducedinjuries. Curcumin derived from the rhizome of turmeric has been used fordecades and it exhibits anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, immunomodulatoryproperties by downregulation of various inflammatory mediators. Keeping theseproperties in mind, we investigated the anti-inflammatory properties of curcuminin a mouse model of acute inflammation by introducing Klebsiella pneumoniae B5055 into BALB/c mice via the intranasal route. Intranasal instillationof bacteria in this mouse model of acute pneumonia-induced inflammation resultedin a significant increase in neutrophil infiltration in the lungs along withincreased production of various inflammatory mediators [i.e. malondialdehyde (MDA),myeloperoxidase (MPO), nitric oxide (NO), tumour necrosisfactor (TNF)-α] in the lung tissue. The animalsthat received curcumin alone orally or in combination with augmentin, 15 daysprior to bacterial instillation into the lungs via the intranasal route, showeda significant (P <0.05) decrease in neutrophil influxinto the lungs and a significant (P <0.05) decreasein the production of MDA, NO, MPO activity and TNF-α levels.Augmentin treatment alone did not decrease the MDA, MPO, NO and TNF-α levels significantly (P >0.05) as compared tothe control group. We therefore conclude that curcumin ameliorates lung inflammationinduced by K. pneumoniae B5055 without significantly (P <0.05) decreasing the bacterial load in the lung tissue whereasaugmentin takes care of bacterial proliferation. Hence, curcumin can be usedas an adjunct therapy along with antibiotics as an anti-inflammatory or animmunomodulatory agent in the case of acute lung infection.