THE PROTECTIVE ROLE OF CURCUMIN IN METHOTREXATE INDUCED NEPHROTOXICITY IN RATS
Salwa A. Ibraheem A, Mohamed A. Morsy A, Entesar F. AmeinA, Maha Y. KamelA, Magdy K. Abdel-AalB
Departments of PharmacologyA, and PhysiologyB, Al-Minia University, Faculty of Medicine.
Methotrexate is an antimetabolite that causes nephrotoxicity in rats by unknown mechanism. In the present study, Curcumin - a member of the ginger family – was used to study its protective role in kidney. Oral administration of curcumin 200 mg/kg/day caused a significant decrease in both serum creatinine and urea levels (71.24, 65.16%, respectively) and a significant decrease in renal MDA level (33.53%) , a significant increase (200%) in renal GPx activity, and a significant increase (157.18%) in renal SOD level compared with MTX-treated rats. The same dose of curcumin caused a significant decrease (34.6%) in renal nitrite and nitrate levels and a significant decrease (41.52%) in renal TNF-α as compared with MTX-treated rats. By immunohistochemical analysis, high COX-2 expression was seen in the different degenerated cortical tubule in MTX-treated group. Most of the medullarly tubules exhibited COX-2 staining that was diminished in the MTX plus curcumin treated group both in the renal cortex and renal medulla. Injection of MTX produced extensive renal tubular necrosis as compared with control group, however, oral administration of curcumin produced improvement in the renal necrosis. In conclusion, Curcumin by its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity can improve the renal function and decrease the progression of acute renal failure that may be caused by administration of MTX.
December 2012