title: Dietary curcumin significantly improves obesity-associated inflammation and diabetes in mouse models of diabesity.
abstract: Obesity is a major risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes, and both conditions are now recognized to possess significant inflammatory components underlying their pathophysiologies. We tested the hypothesis that the plant polyphenolic compound curcumin, which is known to exert potent antiinflammatory and antioxidant effects, would ameliorate diabetes and inflammation in murine models of insulin-resistant obesity. We found that dietary curcumin admixture ameliorated diabetes in high-fat diet-induced obese and leptin-deficient ob/ob male C57BL/6J mice as determined by glucose and insulin tolerance testing and hemoglobin A1c percentages. Curcumin treatment also significantly reduced macrophage infiltration of white adipose tissue, increased adipose tissue adiponectin production, and decreased hepatic nuclear factor-kappaB activity, hepatomegaly, and markers of hepatic inflammation. We therefore conclude that orally ingested curcumin reverses many of the inflammatory and metabolic derangements associated with obesity and improves glycemic control in mouse models of type 2 diabetes. This or related compounds warrant further investigation as novel adjunctive therapies for type 2 diabetes in man.
authors.affiliation: Russ Berrie Medical Science Pavilion, Diabetes and Endocrinology Research Center, Columbia University Medical Center, 1150 St. Nicholas Avenue, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Stuart P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Weisberg
authors.forename: Rudolph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leibel
authors.forename: Drew V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Tortoriello
mesh_terms: D052242:Adiponectin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D052436:Adipose Tissue, White / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003474:Curcumin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008820:Mice, Obese; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D052242:Adiponectin; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D000975:Antioxidants; D001786:Blood Glucose; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016328:NF-kappa B; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D003474:Curcumin