Abstract: AIM: To observe the effects of curcumine on the production of inflammatory factors induced by lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) and investigate the anti-atherosclerosis mechanism of curcumine.METHODS: The human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with LPC (5 mg/L) for 24 h following pretreatment with various concentrations of curcumine(25, 50, 100 mg/L) for 30 min.Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), IL-6 and TNF-αwere determinded by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (real-time RT-PCR),the protein expression of nuclearfactor kappa Bp65 (NF-κBp65) was assayed by western blot analysis and immunohistochemical method.RESULTS: The levels and mRNA expression of ICAM-1, MCP-1, IL-6 and TNF-α, and the NF-κBp65 activity were significantly increased by LPC.The increased production of inflammatory factors and NF-κBp65 activity were markedly inhibited by different concentrations of curcumine in a dose-dependent manner.CONCLUSION: Curcumine inhibited the production of inflammatory factors might be related with depressing the activation of NF-κB.

Key words: curcumine, lysophosphatidylcholine, endothelial cells, atherosclerosis, inflammatory factor