The effect of curcumin on preventing Blood-Brain Barrier disruption with the indicator of decreased CSF albumin to plasma ratio through reduced CSF IL-6 levels. A study on preeclamptic rat model

Rosalia Purbandari (Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang dr. Saiful Anwar General Hospital, Malang)
Bambang Rahardjo (Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang dr. Saiful Anwar General Hospital, Malang)
Hermawan Wibisono (Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang dr. Saiful Anwar General Hospital, Malang)
Cholid Rochman Riskianto (Department of ObstetricS and Gynecology, Dr. Iskak General Hospital, Tulungagung)

Majalah Obstetri dan Ginekologi
Vol. 34 No. 2 (2026): August

HIGHLIGHTS Systemic inflammation and complement activation increase BBB permeability, which plays a role in the pathogenesis of eclampsia. L-NAME increases blood pressure, proteinuria, CSF IL-6, and the CSF/plasma albumin ratio, while curcumin reduces inflammatory markers and BBB disruption.   ABSTRACT Objective: Preeclampsia is a multisystem disorder characterized by endothelial dysfunction and increased blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability, contributing to eclampsia. Curcumin possesses anti-inflammatory properties that may protect the BBB. This study aimed to assess the effect of curcumin on BBB integrity using the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)/plasma albumin ratio. Materials and Methods: This in vivo experimental study employed a post-test-only controlled design in 30 pregnant Wistar rats divided into five groups: negative control, L-NAME-induced preeclampsia (125 mg/kg BW/day), and three treatment groups receiving L-NAME plus curcumin (30, 50, or 100 mg/kg BW/day). L-NAME was administered intraperitoneally on gestational days 13–19. Blood pressure and 24-hour urine protein levels were measured to confirm preeclampsia. On day 20, CSF and serum samples were collected for ELISA measurement of CSF IL-6 and albumin levels. Statistical analyses included the Shapiro–Wilk test, one-way ANOVA or Kruskal–Wallis test, post hoc testing, and Pearson/Spearman correlation analysis (SPSS 19.0). Results: L-NAME successfully established the preeclampsia model, demonstrated by significant increases in blood pressure, proteinuria, CSF IL-6, CSF albumin, and the CSF/plasma albumin ratio (p < 0.001). Curcumin significantly reduced these indicators in a dose-dependent manner. The highest dose produced the greatest improvement, reducing CSF IL-6, CSF albumin, and the CSF/plasma albumin ratio (p < 0.001), while increasing plasma albumin toward normal levels. Conclusion: Curcumin significantly suppresses inflammation and improves BBB integrity in preeclamptic rat models, suggesting potential as an adjunctive therapeutic agent. These findings support further investigation of curcumin as an adjunctive therapy for preventing BBB-related neurological complications of severe preeclampsia.