Objective To investigate the protective effect of curcumin on acute renal injury induced by pregnancy induced hypertension in rats and explore its potential mechanism.
Methods Thirty two pregnant Sprague Dawley female rats were divided into four groups: normal group, curcumin group, pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) group and PIH+curcumin group. Rats in PIH group and PIH+curcumin group were injected with 26 mol/L NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester every day to induce PIH model, lasting for 4 days. The rats in curcumin group and PIH+curcumin group were fed with curcumin 204. 8 mol/L (suspended in 2% carboxymethyl cellulose solution) for 7 days from the 18th day. A series of indicators were detected by hematoxylin eosin staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and spectrophotometry to evaluate the pathological morphology, renal function, oxidative stress and inflammatory reaction of renal tissue. Detection of TGF by immunohistochemistry and Western blot- β 1 and p-Smad3.
Results Compared with PIH group, the renal function of PIH+curcumin group was significantly improved (P<0.01), and the renal tissue injury and oxidative stress were also significantly restored (P<0.01). The renal tissue score decreased from (191.23 ± 18.82) to (108.35 ± 11.24) (P<0.01). Renal TGF of rats in PIH group- β 1 and p-Smad3 increased significantly, but decreased significantly after the application of curcumin, including TGF- β 1 expression decreased from (356.25 ± 40.13)% to (178.40 ± 18.45)% (P<0.01), while p-Smad3/Smad3 decreased from (312.82 ± 30.26)% to (143.05 ± 15.31)% (P<0.01).
Conclusion Curcumin can regulate TGF- β 1 pathway protects the acute renal injury of pregnancy induced hypertension rats.