Curcumin ameliorates aluminum oxide nanoparticle-induced memory deficit by regulating the hippocampal p38 signaling pathway in mice

Objectives: Exposure to aluminum (Al) has been shown to be strongly associated with the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent evidence indicates that the toxicity of Al nanoparticle (Al-NP) is far greater than Al itself due to its particle size. Epidemiological studies suggest that curcumin lower the prevalence of AD. MAPKs (ERK, p38 and JNK) were suggested to be involved in AD pathology and memory impairment. The present study aimed to evaluate if curcumin has the ability to protect against behavioral deficits induced by subcutaneously administered Al-NP in mice. Furthermore, the levels of phosphorylated and total hippocampal MAPKs were assessed using western blottechnique.