Curcumin Supplementation Decreases Intestinal Adiposity Accumulation, Serum Cholesterol Alterations, and Oxidative Stress in Ovariectomized Rats

The Role of Curcumin in Modulating Vascular Function and Structure during Menopause: A Systematic Review

The risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) escalates in women during menopause, which is associated with increased vascular endothelial dysfunction, arterial stiffness, and vascular remodeling. Meanwhile, curcumin has been demonstrated to enhance vascular function and structure in various studies. Therefore, this study systematically reviewed the recent literature regarding the potential role of curcumin in modulating vascular function and structure during menopause. The Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science electronic databases were searched to identify relevant articles. Clinical and preclinical studies involving menopausal women and postmenopausal animal models with outcomes related to vascular function or structure were included. After thorough screening, seven articles were selected for data extraction, comprising three animal studies and four clinical trials. The findings from this review suggested that curcumin has beneficial effects on vascular function and structure during menopause by addressing endothelial function, arterial compliance, hemodynamic parameters, and the formation of atherosclerotic lesions. Therefore, curcumin has the potential to be utilized as a supplement to enhance vascular health in menopausal women. However, larger-scale clinical trials employing gold-standard techniques to evaluate vascular health in menopausal women are necessary to validate the preliminary results obtained from small-scale randomized clinical trials involving curcumin supplementation (INPLASY, INPLASY202430043).

Combined supplementation with hesperidin, phytosterols and curcumin decreases adiposity and improves metabolic health in ovariectomized rats

In recent years many women have looked for alternative therapies to address menopause. Hesperidin, phytosterols and curcumin are bioactive compounds that can ameliorate some cardiovascular risk factors associated with menopause, although there are no data concerning the effects of their combined supplementation. We used ovariectomized (OVX) rats, a postmenopausal model with oestrogen deficiency, to evaluate whether supplementation with a multi-ingredient (MI) including hesperidin, phytosterols and curcumin for 57 days would display beneficial effects against fat mass accretion and metabolic disturbances associated with menopause. Twenty OVX rats were orally supplemented with either MI (OVX-MI) or vehicle (OVX). Furthermore, 10 OVX rats orally received the vehicle along with subcutaneous injections of 17β-oestradiol biweekly (OVX-E2), whereas 10 rats were sham operated and received oral and injected vehicles (control group; SH). MI supplementation partly counteracted the fat mass accretion observed in OVX animals, which was evidenced by decreased total fat mass, adiposity index, the weight of retroperitoneal, inguinal and mesenteric white adipose tissue (MWAT) depots and MWAT adipocyte hypertrophy. These effects were accompanied by a significant decrease in the circulating levels of leptin and the mRNA levels of the fatty acid uptake-related genes Lpl and Cd36 in MWAT. These results were very similar to those observed in OVX-E2 animals. OVX-MI rats also displayed a higher lean body mass, lean/fat mass ratio, adiponectin-to-leptin ratio and insulin sensitivity than their OVX counterparts. Our findings can pave the way for using this MI formulation as an alternative therapy to manage obesity and to improve the cardiometabolic health of menopausal women.

Sinapic acid modulates oxidative stress and metabolic disturbances to attenuate ovarian fibrosis in letrozole-induced polycystic ovary syndrome SD rats

Sinapic acid (SA) is renowned for its many pharmacological activities as a polyphenolic compound. The cause of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a commonly encountered array of metabolic and hormonal abnormalities in females, has yet to be determined. The present experiment was performed to evaluate the antifibrotic properties of SA in rats with letrozole-induced PCOS-related ovarian fibrosis. SA treatment successfully mitigated the changes induced by letrozole in body weight (BW) (p < .01) and relative ovary weight (p < .05). Histological observation revealed that SA reduced the number of atretic and cystic follicles (AFs) and (CFs) (p < .01), as well as ovarian fibrosis, in PCOS rats. Additionally, SA treatment impacted the serum levels of sex hormones in PCOS rats. Luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone (T) levels were decreased (p < .01, p < .05), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were increased (p < .05). SA administration also decreased triglyceride (TG) (p < .01) and total cholesterol (TC) levels (p < .05) and increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels (p < .01), thereby alleviating letrozole-induced metabolic dysfunction in PCOS rats. Furthermore, SA treatment targeted insulin resistance (IR) and increased the messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of antioxidant enzymes in the ovaries of PCOS rats. Finally, SA treatment enhanced the activity of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ), reduced the activation of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)/Smads, and decreased collagen I, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) levels in the ovaries of PCOS rats. These observations suggest that SA significantly ameliorates metabolic dysfunction and oxidative stress and ultimately reduces ovarian fibrosis in rats with letrozole-induced PCOS.

Ovarian status modulates endocrine and neuroinflammatory responses to a murine mammary tumor

Patients with breast cancer have increased circulating inflammatory markers and mammary tumors increase neuroinflammation in rodent models. Menopausal status is not only important in the context of breast cancer as circulating estrogen influences tumor progression, but also because estrogen is anti-inflammatory and an essential modulator of endocrine function in the brain and body. Here, we manipulated "menopause" status (ovary-intact and ovariectomized) in an estrogen receptor (ER)+ mouse mammary tumor model to determine the extent to which ovarian status modulates: 1) tumor effects on estrogen concentrations and signaling in the brain, 2) tumor effects on estrogen-associated neurobiology and inflammation, and 3) the ability for tumor resection to resolve the effects of a tumor. We hypothesized that reduced circulating estradiol (E2) after an ovariectomy exacerbates tumor-induced peripheral and central inflammation. Notably, we observed ovarian-dependent modulation on tumor-induced peripheral outcomes, including E2-dependent processes and, to a lesser degree, circulating inflammatory markers. In the brain, ovariectomy exacerbated neuroinflammatory markers in select brain regions and modulated E2-related neurobiology due to a tumor and/or resection. Overall, our data suggest that ovarian status has moderate implications for tumor-induced alterations in neuroendocrinology and neuroinflammation and mild effects on peripheral inflammatory outcomes in this murine mammary tumor model.

Combined Effects of Exercise and Phytoanabolic Extracts in Castrated Male and Female Mice

Dry extracts from the Eurasian plants, Ajuga turkestanica, Eurycoma longifolia, and Urtica dioica have been used as anabolic supplements, despite the limited scientific data on these effects. To assess their actions on early sarcopenia signs, male and female castrated mice were supplemented with lyophilized extracts of the three plants, isolated or in association (named TLU), and submitted to resistance exercise. Ovariectomy (OVX) led to body weight increase and non-high-density cholesterol (HDL) cholesterol elevation, which had been restored by exercise plus U. dioica extract, or by exercise and TLU, respectively. Orchiectomy (ORX) caused skeletal muscle weight loss, accompanied by increased adiposity, being the latter parameter reduced by exercise plus E. longifolia or U. dioica extracts. General physical activity was improved by exercise plus herbal extracts in either OVX or ORX animals. Exercise combined with TLU improved resistance to fatigue in OVX animals, though A. turkestanica enhanced the grip strength in ORX mice. E. longifolia or TLU also reduced the ladder climbing time in ORX mice. Resistance exercise plus herbal extracts partly altered gastrocnemius fiber size frequencies in OVX or ORX mice. We provide novel data that tested ergogenic extracts, when combined with resistance exercise, improved early sarcopenia alterations in castrated male and female mice.

Physiological profile regulation during weight gain and loss by ovariectomized females: importance of SIRT1 and SIRT4

Obesity in menopausal women occurs because of the systemic effects of loss of ovarian function, resulting in increased body weight and oxidative stress. Caloric restriction (CR) is essential for weight loss, since it provides benefits associated with metabolic normalization resulting from the action of sirtuins. The aim of this work was to evaluate the physiological effects of weight cycling in ovariectomized females. Females aged 2 mo (n = 8/group) were submitted to simulated surgery, ovariectomy (OVX group), and ovariectomy with weight fluctuation (WF group). In the WF group, weight cycling was performed two times, using 21 days of ad libitum commercial feed and 21 days of caloric restriction with 40% of the feed consumed by the OVX group. After 17 wk, the animals were evaluated experimentally. Weight fluctuations reduced triacylglycerol and the adipose tissue index of the WF animals, while increasing the expression of antioxidant proteins. In addition to causing fluctuations in the physiological parameters, the weight cycling led to increases of adipocyte number and serum fatty acids. These effects were reflected in increased expression of the sirtuin (SIRT) 1 and SIRT4 proteins, as well as protein complexes of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, especially in the liver and adipose tissues. The weight-cycling results suggested that mitochondrial and nuclear sirtuins were active in cellular signaling for the control of lipid metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, and redox status. Weight cycling was able to restore the health characteristics of lean animals.

Effect of Rosmarinic Acid on the Serum Parameters of Glucose and Lipid Metabolism and Oxidative Stress in Estrogen-Deficient Rats

Rosmarinic acid is found in medicinal and spice plants such as rosemary, lemon balm, and mint. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of rosmarinic acid on parameters of glucose and lipid metabolism and parameters of oxidative stress in rats in the early phase of estrogen deficiency. The study was carried out on mature female Wistar rats divided into the following groups: sham-operated control rats, ovariectomized control rats, and ovariectomized rats treated orally with rosmarinic acid at a dose of 10 mg/kg or 50 mg/kg daily for 28 days. The concentration of sex hormones, parameters related to glucose and lipid metabolism as well as parameters of antioxidant abilities and oxidative damage were determined in the blood serum. In the ovariectomized control rats, the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index and cholesterol concentration increased, the superoxide dismutase activity increased, and the reduced glutathione concentration decreased. Administration of rosmarinic acid at both doses induced decreases in the fructosamine concentration and HOMA-IR, an increase in the concentration of reduced glutathione, and a decrease in the concentration of advanced oxidation protein products in ovariectomized rats. Moreover, rosmarinic acid at a dose of 50 mg/kg induced a decrease in the total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations. The results indicate that rosmarinic acid may be useful in the prevention of metabolic disorders associated with estrogen deficiency, however further studies are necessary.

The Effects of Sinapic Acid on the Development of Metabolic Disorders Induced by Estrogen Deficiency in Rats

Sinapic acid is a natural phenolic acid found in fruits, vegetables, and cereals, exerting numerous pharmacological effects. The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of sinapic acid on biochemical parameters related to glucose and lipid metabolism, as well as markers of antioxidant abilities and parameters of oxidative damage in the blood serum in estrogen-deficient rats. The study was performed on 3-month-old female Wistar rats, divided into 5 groups, including sham-operated control rats, ovariectomized control rats, and ovariectomized rats administered orally with estradiol (0.2 mg/kg) or sinapic acid (5 and 25 mg/kg) for 28 days. The levels of estradiol, progesterone, interleukin 18, insulin, glucose, fructosamine, lipids, and enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione); total antioxidant capacity; and oxidative damage parameters (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, protein carbonyl groups, and advanced oxidation protein products) were determined in the serum. Estradiol counteracted the carbohydrate and cholesterol metabolism disorders induced by estrogen deficiency. Sinapic acid increased the serum estradiol concentration; decreased insulin resistance and the triglyceride and total cholesterol concentrations; and favorably affected the parameters of antioxidant abilities (reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase) and oxidative damage (advanced oxidation protein products).