Aim: To determine whether curcumin prevents the adhesion of platelets to brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) cultured in vitro. Methods: [3H]Ad-chine-labeled platelets were incubated with BMECs to investigate the role of curcumin in the adhesion of platelets to BMECs. The number of platelets adher-ing to the BMECs monolayer was determined by liquid scintillation spectroscopy. The thrombin-induced expression of platelets P-selectin, glycoprotein Ⅱb (GPⅡb), and glycoprotein Ⅲa (GPⅢa) on the cell surface, was measured by flow cytometry. P-selectin mRNA levels of BMECs were determined by RT-PCR. The TNF-α-induced expressions of P-selectin and E-selectin on the surface of BMECs were determined by Weste blotting. Results: The adhesion between thrombin-acti-vated platelets and normal BMECs, and that of TNF-α-activated BMECs and normal platelets were significantly increased, and this increase could be inhibited by curcumin (30-240 μmol/L) in a concentration-dependant manner. The platelets activated with thrombin and BMECs stimulated by TNF-α demonstrated an upregulated expressions of P-selectin and E-selectin, and this increase, when pretreated with curcumin for 30 min, could be restrained dose dependently. Curcumin also inhibited the increase of the GPⅡb/GPⅢa expression of thrombin-activated platelets in a concentration-dependent manner. Conclusion: Curcumin can inhibit the platelets to BMECs. This effect may be related to the decreased expressions of P-selectin, E-selectin, and GPⅡb/GPⅢa on platelets and BMECs.