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Diabetic Neuropathy Impacted by Curcumin

The International Journal of Medical Sciences published a new study suggesting that curcumin may reduce pain related to diabetic neuropathy. It is estimated that 60-70 percent of individuals with diabetes have some form of neuropathy. The risk of developing neuropathy increases with age and the duration of having diabetes.

Researchers administered 60 mg/kg oral curcumin or a placebo to diabetic and healthy rats for 28 days. The investigators evaluated the rats for allodynia (a pain response to a typically non-painful stimulus) and hyperalgesia (an increased response to painful stimuli) to assess neuropathy at days 7, 14, 21 and 28. The researchers also measured levels of pro-inflammatory markers tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and TNF-alpha receptor 1, which have been implicated in neuropathic pain.

The investigators found that the diabetic rats had increased mean plasma glucose concentration, decreased mean body weight, and significant pain hypersensitivity compared to the control rats. The researchers showed that curcumin supplementation significantly attenuated the diabetes-induced allodynia and hyperalgesia and reduced the expression of both TNF-alpha and TNF-alpha receptor 1.

The researchers stated, “Curcumin seems to relieve diabetic hyperalgesia, possibly through an inhibitory action on TNF-alpha and TNF-alpha receptor 1.”

Reference:
Li Y, et al. Int J Med Sci. 2013;4:377-81.