Protective effects of curcumin against oxidative stress parameters and DNA damage in the livers and kidneys of rats with biliary obstruction

• Published in: Food and chemical toxicology 2013-11, Vol.61, p.28-35
• Main Authors: Tokaç, Mehmet, Taner, Gökçe, Aydın, Sevtap, Özkardeş, Alper Bilal, Dündar, Halit Ziya, Taşlıpınar, Mine Yavuz, Arıkök, Ata Türker, Kılıç, Mehmet, Başaran, Arif Ahmet, Basaran, Nursen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; antioxidants; Antioxidants - pharmacology; bile; Bile duct ligation; Bile Ducts - surgery; biomarkers; catalase; Catalase - metabolism; Cholestasis; Cholestasis - drug therapy; Cholestasis - genetics; Cholestasis - metabolism; Cholestasis - pathology; Curcumin; Curcumin - pharmacology; Disease Models, Animal; DNA damage; DNA Damage - drug effects; glutathione; Glutathione - metabolism; glutathione transferase; Glutathione Transferase - metabolism; Kidney - drug effects; Kidney - metabolism; Kidney - pathology; kidneys; liver; Liver - drug effects; Liver - metabolism; Liver - pathology; Liver functions; Male; malondialdehyde; Malondialdehyde - metabolism; nitric oxide; Nitric Oxide - metabolism; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Protective Agents - pharmacology; protective effect; Rats; Rats, Wistar; superoxide dismutase; tissues; tumor necrosis factor-alpha; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - metabolism
• ISSN: 0278-6915; 1873-6351
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2013.01.015

► Bile duct ligation (BDL) produces a well established experimental model of cholestasis in rats. ► The effects of curcumin against cholestasis in rats were studied. ► Curcumin ameliorated the liver functions in BDL rats. ► Curcumin treatment in the BDL group reduced the DNA damage. ► Curcumin reduced the oxidative stress parameters in the livers and kidneys of rats. Curcumin, a most active antioxidant compound, has been suggested to have potential beneficial effects against most metabolic and psychological disorders, including cholestasis. In the present study, the effects of curcumin against oxidative stress and DNA damage induced by bile duct ligation (BDL) in Wistar albino rats for 14days were investigated. The rats were divided into three following groups: Sham group, the BDL group and the BDL+curcumin group. A daily dose of 50mg/kg curcumin was given to the BDL+curcumin group intragastrically for 14days. The biomarkers of hepatocellular damage were decreased in the BDL+curcumin group compared to the BDL group, indicating that curcumin recovered the liver functions. DNA damage as assessed by the alkaline comet assay was also found to be low in the BDL+curcumin group. Curcumin significantly reduced malondialdehyde and nitric oxide levels, and enchanced reduced glutathione levels and catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione S-transferase enzymes activities in the livers and kidneys of BDL group. Curcumin treatment in BDL group was found to decrease tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels in the livers of rats. These results suggest that curcumin might have protective effects on the cholestasis-induced injuries in the liver and kidney tissues of rats.