Curcumin May Protect Against Exposure to Diesel Exhaust

A study involving mice exposed to diesel exhaust particle (DEP) found a protective effect of curcumin against DEP-induced cardiopulmonary toxicity. Mice were DEP-exposed (15µg/animal) every 2(nd) day for 6 days (a total of 4 exposures), and measured several cardiopulmonary endpoints 48 h after the end of the treatments. Pretreatment with curcumin by oral gavage (45 mg/kg) 1h before exposure to DEP prevented the influx of inflammatory cells, increase of plasma C-reactive protein (CRP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), plasma D-dimer, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and increased airway resistance.
Findings indicate that curcumin may be a potent anti-inflammatory agent that prevents the release of TNF-alpha and protects against the pulmonary and cardiovascular effects of DEP.

Reference:  "Protective effect of curcumin on pulmonary and cardiovascular effects induced by repeated exposure to diesel exhaust particles in mice," Nemmar A, Subramaniyan D, et al, PLoS One, 2012; 7(6): e39554.