Renoprotective effect of the antioxidant curcumin: Recent findings

Abstract

For years, there have been studies based on the use of natural compounds plant-derived as potential therapeutic agents for various diseases in humans. Curcumin is a phenolic compound extracted from Curcuma longa rhizome commonly used in Asia as a spice, pigment and additive. In traditional medicine of India and China, curcumin is considered as a therapeutic agent used in several foods. Numerous studies have shown that curcumin has broad biological functions particularly antioxidant and antiinflammatory. In fact, it has been established that curcumin is a bifunctional antioxidant; it exerts antioxidant activity in a direct and an indirect way by scavenging reactive oxygen species and inducing an antioxidant response, respectively. The renoprotective effect of curcumin has been evaluated in several experimental models including diabetic nephropathy, chronic renal failure, ischemia and reperfusion and nephrotoxicity induced by compounds such as gentamicin, adriamycin, chloroquine, iron nitrilotriacetate, sodium fluoride, hexavalent chromium and cisplatin. It has been shown recently in a model of chronic renal failure that curcumin exerts a therapeutic effect; in fact it reverts not only systemic alterations but also glomerular hemodynamic changes. Another recent finding shows that the renoprotective effect of curcumin is associated to preservation of function and redox balance of mitochondria. Taking together, these studies attribute the protective effect of curcumin in the kidney to the induction of the master regulator of antioxidant response nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2 (Nrf2), inhibition of mitochondrial dysfunction, attenuation of inflammatory response, preservation of antioxidant enzymes and prevention of oxidative stress. The information presented in this paper identifies curcumin as a promising renoprotective molecule against renal injury.

Role of food-derived antioxidant agents against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity

“…ATP, adenosine triphosphate; Ca2+, calcium cation; CI, NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase; CII, succinate dehydrogenase; CIII, coenzyme Q: cytochrome c-oxidoreductase; CIV, cytochrome c oxidase; Cyt c, cytochrome c; GSH, glutathione; MPT, permeability transition pore; ROS, reactive oxygen species; D m, mitochondrial membrane potential. mustard, cheese, cereals, soups, ice cream and yogurt (Shishodia et al 2007;Trujillo et al 2013;Waseem et al 2014).…”

Role of Curcumin as Anti-Oxidant in Nephrotoxicity

“…Also, it attenuated oxidative stress by reducing levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) [20]. Also according to some other studies, it was suggested that, the nephroprotective effect of curcumin was related to the downregulation of the profibrotic cytokines vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), TGF-ß, CTGF and osteopontin as in extracellular matrix proteins fibronectin and collagen IV [20].…”

“…The phenolic groups in the structure of curcumin can explain its properties to react with reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) and may probably explain one of the mechanisms through which it protects the epithelial cells of renal tubules from oxidative damage induced by H 2 O 2 [19]. The indirect antioxidant activity of curcumin is explained by its ability to induce the expression of cytoprotective proteins such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) and γ-glutamylcysteine ligase (γGCL) [20].…”

“…According o some studies, preventive role for curcumin in some nephrotoxicities conditions has been known For example, curcumin treatment in an animal model of diabetic nephropathy diminished proteinuria and improved creatinine clearance [20]. Also, it attenuated oxidative stress by reducing levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) [20].…”

“…Also, it attenuated oxidative stress by reducing levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) [20]. Also according to some other studies, it was suggested that, the nephroprotective effect of curcumin was related to the downregulation of the profibrotic cytokines vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), TGF-ß, CTGF and osteopontin as in extracellular matrix proteins fibronectin and collagen IV [20]. Cellular signalings such as inhibition of nuclear factor kappa-lightchain enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) [26,27] and decrease of macrophage infiltration [27] histone acetyltransferase p300 protein and oxidative stress [26] also these mechanisms may be as those, through which the curcumin protects against diabetic nephropathy.…”