Effect of Curcumin on Phosphorylation of AMPK and ACC in C2C12 Skeletal Muscle Cells

AMP activated protein kinase (AMPK) as key regulators of cell metabolism، plays a major role in the activation of catabolic pathways، such as glucose transport and fatty acid oxidation. Thus، activation of this pathway can be used in the treatment of diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Many studied proposed the effectiveness of the polyphenols present in rhizomes of turmeric (curcumin) on diabetes and its related complications. Therefore، this study investigated the effects of curcumin as an activator of AMPK pathway in C2C12 muscle cells. This study was done on C2C12 skeletal muscle cell line. The cells were classified into two distinct groups: first group was treated with 40µM curcumin and the second one with 0. 1% DMSO as a negative control. The phosphorylated (AMPK) and phosphorylated acetyl COA carboxylase (ACC) were evaluated and compared by Western blotting technique. intracellular phosphorylated AMPK protein content in Curcumin-treated group was 132. 6% and ACC protein phosphorylated was 366. 47%. This study showed that the levels of phosphorylated AMPK and ACC protein in cells treated with curcumin are higher than the negative control. Thus curcumin can be regarded as an activator of AMPK activity in these cells and can assist as a potential target for making anti diabetic medecine that has a synergistic activity with insulin.