Curcumin protects against hepatic and renal injuries mediated by inducible nitric oxide synthase during selenium-induced toxicity in Wistar rats

Defining the mechanisms behind the hepatoprotective properties of curcumin

As a critical cause of human dysfunctionality, hepatic failure leads to approximately two million deaths per year and is on the rise. Considering multiple inflammatory, oxidative, and apoptotic mechanisms behind hepatotoxicity, it urges the need for finding novel multi-targeting agents. Curcumin is a phenolic compound with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-apoptotic roles. Curcumin possesses auspicious health benefits and protects against several diseases with exceptional safety and tolerability. This review focused on the hepatoprotective mechanisms of curcumin. The need to develop novel delivery systems of curcumin (e.g., nanoparticles, self-micro emulsifying, lipid-based colloids, solid lipid nanoparticles, cyclodextrin inclusion, phospholipid complexes, and nanoemulsions) is also considered.

Curcumin Attenuates Both Acute and Chronic Immune Nephritis

Curcumin is known to have immunomodulatory potential in addition to anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic effects. The aim of the present study is to investigate the therapeutic effects of curcumin on immune-mediated renal disease in an anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) model (representing acute kidney Injury, AKI) and murine lupus model (representing chronic kidney disease, CKD). In the AKI model, female anti-GBM 129/svj mice were administered with curcumin right before disease induction. In the CKD model, female MRL.lpr mice at the age of 8-10 weeks old were treated with curcumin or placebo via oral gavage daily for two months. After treatment, serum autoantibody levels, splenomegaly and spleen cellularity were reduced in murine lupus. Collectively, curcumin ameliorated kidney disease in the two mouse models with either acute or chronic nephritis, as marked by reduced proteinuria, blood urea nitrogen, glomerulonephritis, crescent formation, tubule-interstitial disease, and renal infiltration by lymphocytes. In addition, curcumin treatment reduced activation of the NFkB, MAPK, AKT and pBAD pathways either systemically, or within the inflamed kidneys. These findings suggest that natural food supplements could become an alternative approach to ameliorating immune-mediated kidney diseases.

Recent Advances of Curcumin in the Prevention and Treatment of Renal Fibrosis

Curcumin, a polyphenol derived from the turmeric, has received attention as a potential treatment for renal fibrosis primarily because it is a relatively safe and inexpensive compound that contributes to kidney health. Here, we review the literatures on the applications of curcumin in resolving renal fibrosis in animal models and summarize the mechanisms of curcumin and its analogs (C66 and (1E,4E)-1,5-bis(2-bromophenyl) penta-1,4-dien-3-one(B06)) in preventing inflammatory molecules release and reducing the deposition of extracellular matrix at the priming and activation stage of renal fibrosis in animal models by consulting PubMed and Cnki databases over the past 15 years. Curcumin exerts antifibrotic effect through reducing inflammation related factors (MCP-1, NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1β, COX-2, and cav-1) and inducing the expression of anti-inflammation factors (HO-1, M6PRBP1, and NEDD4) as well as targeting TGF-β/Smads, MAPK/ERK, and PPAR-γ pathways in animal models. As a food derived compound, curcumin is becoming a promising drug candidate for improving renal health.