Curcumin induces heme oxygenase-1 in hepatocytes and is protective in simulated cold preservation and warm reperfusion injury.
Preconditioning treatments hold significant potential for improving outcomes in solid organ transplantation. Protective phenotypes can be induced using certain drugs. Curcumin is a biologically active component of turmeric and has been reported to induce stress proteins in certain cell lines, leading to cell protection. This study investigates in detail the effect of curcumin on the stress-response in human hepatocytes, in particular its effect on heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and its cytoprotective effect. Pretreatment with curcumin protected hepatocytes in a model of oxidative injury and this protection was mediated through HO-1. In a model of cold preservation injury, curcumin pretreatment resulted in elevation of HO-1 throughout the cold storage and rewarming period, and was cytoprotective against oxidative injury. This is the first study to demonstrate that curcumin induces HO-1 in human hepatocytes, and that the protective effects of curcumin pretreatment may have clinical potential in hepatic transplantation.
Tissue Injury and Repair Group, MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. stephen.mcnally@gmail.com
Stephen J
SJ
McNally
Ewen M
EM
Harrison
James A
JA
Ross
O James
OJ
Garden
Stephen J
SJ
Wigmore
D000241:Adenosine; D000493:Allopurinol; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects; D005978:Glutathione; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin; D008102:Liver Circulation; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000502:physiology; D019188:Organ Preservation Solutions; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011887:Raffinose; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000201:enzymology*; D014021:Tissue Preservation / Q000379:methods; D019172:Transplantation Conditioning
D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D007328:Insulin; D019188:Organ Preservation Solutions; C055206:University of Wisconsin-lactobionate solution; D000493:Allopurinol; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D005978:Glutathione; D003474:Curcumin; D000241:Adenosine; D011887:Raffinose