Curcumin Decreased Oxidative Stress, Inhibited NF-κB Activation, and Improved Liver Pathology in Ethanol-Induced Liver Injury in Rats

[摘要] To study the mechanism of curcumin-attenuated inflammation and liver pathology in early stage of alcoholic liver disease, female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups and treated with ethanol or curcumin via an intragastric tube for 4 weeks. A control group treated with distilled water, and an ethanol group was treated with ethanol (7.5 g/kg bw). Treatment groups were fed with ethanol supplemented with curcumin (400 or 1 200 mg/kg bw). The liver histopathology in ethanol group revealed mild-to-moderate steatosis and mild necroinflammation. Hepatic MDA, hepatocyte apoptosis, and NF-κB activation increased significantly in ethanol-treated group when compared with control. Curcumin treatments resulted in improvingof liver pathology, decreasing the elevation of hepatic MDA, and inhibition of NF-κB activation. The 400 mg/kg bw of curcumin treatment revealed only a trend of decreased hepatocyte apoptosis. However, the results of SOD activity, PPARγprotein expression showed no difference among the groups. In conclusion, curcumin improved liver histopathology in early stage of ethanol-induced liver injury by reduction of oxidative stress and inhibition of NF-κB activation.

[学科分类] 基础医学