AIM:To investigate the effects of curcumin on gastric microcirculation and inflammation in rats with indomethacin-induced gastric damage.METHODS:Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups.Group 1(control group,n =5)was fed with olive oil and 5%NaHCO3-(vehicle).Group 2[indomethacin(IMN)group,n=5]was fed with olive oil 30 min prior to indomethacin 150 mg/kg body weight(BW)dissolved in 5%NaHCO3-at time 0th and 4th h.Group 3(IMN+Cur group,n=4)was fed with curcumin 200 mg/kg BW dissolved in olive oil 0.5 mL,30 min prior to indomethacin at 0th and 4th h.Leukocyte-endothelium interactions at postcapillary venules were recorded after acridine orange injection.Blood samples were determined for intercellular adhesion molecule(ICAM)-1 and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-αlevels using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay method.Finally,the stomach was removed for histopathological examination for gastric lesions and grading for neutrophil infiltration.RESULTS:In group 2,the leukocyte adherence in postcapillary venules was significantly increased compared to the control group(6.40±2.30 cells/frame vs 1.20±0.83 cells/frame,P=0.001).Pretreatment with curcumin caused leukocyte adherence to postcapillary venule to decline(3.00±0.81 cells/frame vs 6.40 ±2.30 cells/frame,P=0.027).The levels of ICAM-1 and TNF-αincreased significantly in the indomethacintreated group compared with the control group(1106.50 ±504.22 pg/mL vs 336.93±224.82 pg/mL,P=0.011 and 230.92±114.47 pg/mL vs 47.13±65.59 pg/mL,P =0.009 respectively).Pretreatment with curcumin significantly decreased the elevation of ICAM-1 and TNF-α levels compared to treatment with indomethacin alone(413.66±147.74 pg/mL vs 1106.50±504.22 pg/mL,P =0.019 and 58.27±67.74 pg/mL vs 230.92±114.47 pg/mL,P=0.013 respectively).The histological appearance of the stomach in the control group was normal.In the indomethacin-treated group,the stomachs showed a mild to moderate neutrophil infiltration score.Gastric lesions were erosive and ulcerative.In rats treated with indomethacin and curcumin,stomach histopathology improved and showed only a mild neutrophil infiltration score and fewer erosive lesions in the gastric mucosa.CONCLUSION:The results indicate that curcumin prevents indomethacin-induced gastropathy through the improvement of gastric microcirculation by attenuating the level of ICAM-1 and TNF-α. AIM: To investigate the effects of curcumin on gastric microcirculation and inflammation in rats with indomethacin-induced gastric damage. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups. Group 1 (control group, n = 5) was fed with olive oil and 5% NaHCO3- (vehicle). Group 2 [indomethacin (IMN) group, n = 5] was fed with olive oil 30 min prior to indomethacin 150 mg / kg body weight 0th and 4th h.Group 3 (IMN + Cur group, n = 4) was fed with curcumin 200 mg / kg BW dissolved in olive oil 0.5 mL, 30 min prior to indomethacin at 0th and 4th h. Leukocyte-endothelium interactions at postcapillary venules were recorded after acridine orange injection. Blood samples were determined for intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM) -1 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) -αlevels using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay method. Finaally, the stomach was removed for histopathological examination for gastric lesions and grading for neutrophil infiltration .RESULTS: In group 2, the leukocyt e adherence in postcapillary venules was significantly increased compared to the control group (6.40 ± 2.30 cells / frame vs 1.20 ± 0.83 cells / frame, P = 0.001) .Pretreatment with curcumin caused leukocyte adherence to postcapillary venule to decline (3.00 ± 0.81 cells / frame vs 6.40 ± 2.30 cells / frame, P = 0.027) .The levels of ICAM-1 and TNF-αincreased significantly in the indomethacin group compared with the control group (1106.50 ± 504.22 pg / mL vs 336.93 ± 224.82 pg / mL, P = 0.011 and 230.92 ± 114.47 pg / mL vs 47.13 ± 65.59 pg / mL, P = 0.009 respectively) .Pretreatment with curcumin significantly decreased the elevation of ICAM-1 and TNF-α levels compared to treatment with indomethacin alone (413.66 ± 147.74 pg / mL vs 1106.50 ± 504.22 pg / mL, P = 0.019 and 58.27 ± 67.74 pg / mL vs 230.92 ± 114.47 pg / mL, P = 0.013 respectively) .The histological appearance of the stomach in the control group was normal.In the indomethacin -treated group, the stomachs showed a mild to moderate neutrophil infiltration score. Gastric lesio ns were erosiveand ulcerative.In rats treated with indomethacin and curcumin, stomach histopathology improved and showed only a mild neutrophil infiltration score and fewer erosive lesions in the gastric mucosa. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that curcumin prevents indomethacin-induced gastropathy through the improvement of gastric microcirculation by attenuating the level of ICAM-1 and TNF-α.