title: Curcumin protects bleomycin-induced lung injury in rats.
abstract: The present study was designed to determine the protective effects of curcumin against bleomycin (BLM)-induced inflammatory and oxidant lung injury. The data indicate that BLM-mediated lung injury resulted in increases in lung lavage fluid biomarkers such as total protein, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), lipid peroxidation (LPO) products, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase. Bleomycin administration also resulted in increased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells and greater amounts of alveolar macrophage (AM) superoxide dismutase activity. By contrast, lower levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) were observed in lung lavage fluid, BAL cells and AM. Stimulated superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide release by AM from BLM rats were found to be higher. Curcumin treatment resulted in a significant reduction in lavage fluid biomarkers. In addition, curcumin treatment resulted in the restoration of antioxidant status in BLM rats. These data suggest that curcumin treatment reduces the development of BLM-induced inflammatory and oxidant activity. Therefore, curcumin offers the potential for a novel pharmacological approach in the suppression of drug or chemical-induced lung injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Central Leather Research Institute, Madras, India. vnar@tattoo.ed.ac.uk
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Venkatesan
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Punithavathi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chandrakasan
mesh_terms: D000118:Acetylglucosaminidase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000633:toxicity*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000633:toxicity*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D003474:Curcumin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D001761:Bleomycin; D013481:Superoxides; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D000118:Acetylglucosaminidase; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A; D005978:Glutathione; D003474:Curcumin