Investigation of the effects of curcumin on the proinflammatory cytokine level and the high-cognitive functions in A rat model of febrile convulsion

Febrile convulsion (FC) is a seizure type frequently observed during childhood, a cause of concern for parents, and generally has a good prognosis. It has a place in the applications in the clinic and the emergency services of the children's health and diseases due to causing severe anxiety at parents and appearing quite often. Most FC episodes are transient, self-extinguishing, and not required for long-term treatment with anti-epileptic drugs. However, in the severe cases of the FC, anti-epileptics with pronounced side effects are used. On the other hand, biologically active phytotherapeutics have recently been started to be used in FC treatment, as is the case in many diseases. To this end, curcuminoids, an active agent group in the roots of turmeric, are widely used. In the current study, the effects of polyphenolic active compound curcumin, obtained from Curcuma Longa L., and reducing learning and memory impairments, on the high cognitive functions and pro-inflammatory cytokines were evaluated, and developing new therapeutic approaches for the FC was aimed. First, the mice model of the FC was created in the hot water bath, and the effects of curcumin on spatial learning and memory performances in the Morris water maze and on the motor skills by the rotarod test were investigated. Lastly, the inflammatory markers in the hippocampus and serum were studied, and the anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin were interrogated. It was determined that the curcumin therapy reduced increased interleukin (IL) -1β and TNF-α level, febril convulsion ending time. Also, to the Morris water maze data, the curcumin therapy dramatically reduced memory impairment in the FC groups. To conclude, the curcumin therapy ameliorated the impairments in memory and motor functions and the changed inflammation mediators. Taken together, the curcumin-mediated ameliorations in memory, motor, and inflammation markers indicated that curcumin could provide a "binary therapeutic strategy" through its effects of homoestatic phytotherapy mediating behavioral impairments and anti-inflammatory. Keywords: Febrile convulsion, Curcumin, Memory, Learning, Inflammation.