Curcumin ameliorates high glucose-induced acute vascular endothelial dysfunction in rat thoracic aorta

• Published in: Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology 2009-12, Vol.36 (12), p.1177-1182
• Main Authors: Fang, Xiao-Dong, Yang, Fan, Zhu, Li, Shen, Yue-Liang, Wang, Lin-Lin, Chen, Ying-Ying
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetylcholine - antagonists & inhibitors; Acetylcholine - pharmacology; Animals; Aorta, Thoracic - drug effects; Aorta, Thoracic - metabolism; Aorta, Thoracic - physiology; Cardiotonic Agents - pharmacology; curcumin; Curcumin - pharmacology; Endothelium, Vascular - drug effects; Endothelium, Vascular - metabolism; glucose; Glucose - adverse effects; guanylate cyclase; Guanylate Cyclase - antagonists & inhibitors; heme oxygenase-1; Heme Oxygenase-1 - antagonists & inhibitors; Heme Oxygenase-1 - metabolism; Male; Methylene Blue - pharmacology; Muscle Relaxation - drug effects; Muscle Relaxation - physiology; Protoporphyrins - pharmacology; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; vasodilation; Vasodilation - drug effects
• ISSN: 0305-1870; 1440-1681
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1681.2009.05210.x

Summary 1 The aims of the present study were to explore the protective effect of curcumin against the acute vascular endothelial dysfunction induced by high glucose and to investigate the possible role of heme oxygenase (HO)‐1 in this protective action. 2 Thoracic aortic rings, with or without endothelium, obtained from male Sprague‐Dawley rats were mounted in an organ bath. Isometric contraction of the rings was recorded. After completion of the organ bath studies, rings were homogenized and centrifuged (30 000 g, 4°C, 15 min) and HO activity was determined in the supernatant. 3 After 2 h incubation of aortic rings in the presence of high glucose (44 mmol/L), the relaxation evoked by acetylcholine (3 × 10−8 to 3 × 10−5 mol/L) was significantly decreased only in rings with an intact endothelium. When rings were coincubated in the presence of curcumin (10−13 to 10−11 mol/L) and high glucose, curcumin reversed the vasodilator dysfunction induced by high glucose dose dependently. 4 Curcumin (10−11 mol/L) increased HO activity in the aortic rings compared with activity in control rings (63.1 ± 3.6 vs control 43.2 ± 2.9 pmol/mg per h, respectively; P