Objective      To investigate antiepileptic effect of curcumin and analyze the expression level of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) in post-traumatic epilepsy rats.      Methods      SD male rats (n=120) were randomly divided into 3 groups: a control group (n=40)

a model group (n=40)

and an intervention group (n=40). The rat models of epilepsy were established by iron injection to the cortex in the model group and the intervention group

and the rats in the control group were treated by intracortical injection of normal saline. The rats in the intervention group received intraperitoneal injection of curcumin at 1 h before modeling

and the curcumin was injected for 14 d. The rats in each group were randomly selected at different time points (6 and 24 h

and 3

7 and 14 d) after epileptic seizure. Racine scale was used to evaluate the behavioral changes

and cortical electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring was performed to record the EEG features. The neurons in the curcumin-injected cortex were observed with transmission electron microscope. Western blotting was applied to detect the expression of mTORC1 protein and its phosphorylation

and phospho-mTORC1 (p-mTORC1) protein expression in the curcumin-injected cortex was detected by immunohistochemical assay.      Results      Typical seizures and epileptic discharge were observed in the model group and the intervention group. The frequency and degree of epileptic seizures of the rats in the intervention group were lower than those in the model group (P0.05)

as well as the epileptic discharge and epileptic wave amplitude at each time point (P0.05). The cortical neuron degeneration and death appeared in the model group

while the curcumin-treated epileptic rats exhibited normal subcellular structures. The p-mTORC1 protein was more highly expressed in the model group at each time point as compared with the control group (P0.05)

and peaked at 24 h after injection of FeCl3. The p-mTORC1 protein expression of the intervention group was significantly lower than that of the model group (P0.05).      Conclusion      Curcumin excerts certain antiepileptic effect by inhibiting mTORC1 phosphorylation in the iron-induced post-traumatic epilepsy rats.