Recent research has shown that curcumin from the rhizome of the Curcuma longa plant may increase the effectiveness of the antiretroviral drug Elvitegravir in treating HIV infection.
This groundbreaking study attempts to address the problem of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND), which is common in people living with HIV, even after receiving effective antiretroviral therapy. HAND is characterized by long-term inflammation and damage to brain cells caused by latent HIV in the central nervous system.
The researchers drew attention to the known antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin, as well as its ability to accelerate the passage of Elvitegravir across the blood-brain barrier. This strategy should reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, which are the main causes of HAND and HIV neuropathogenesis.
The study used mice models for intranasal and intraperitoneal injection of Elvitegravir and curcumin, as well as for monitoring their distribution in various parts of the body, including the brain.
The results showed that:
- Intranasal injection of curcumin increases the concentration of elvitegravir in the brain
- Intranasal injection of curcumin reduces the level of reactive oxygen species and pro-inflammatory cytokines in HIV-infected macrophages.
This suggests that curcumin may play a role in reducing inflammation and oxidative stress, two of the main components of HIV infection.
However, the researchers found that neuronal marker proteins, such as glial fibrillary acidic protein, neuronal nucleus protein and synaptophysin, which serve as indicators of HAND events, did not change when elvitegravir and curcumin were administered either alone or together.
This study provides insight into the use of curcumin as an adjunctive treatment for HIV infection, particularly for the elimination of neuronal complications and improved drug delivery to the central nervous system.