title: Reversal of cardiac iron loading and dysfunction in thalassemic mice by curcuminoids.
abstract: Non-transferrin bound iron (NTBI) is found in plasma of β-thalassemia patients and causes oxidative tissue damage. Cardiac siderosis and complications are the secondary cause of death in β-thalassemia major patients. Desferrioxamine (DFO), deferiprone (DFP) and deferasirox (DFX) are promising chelators used to get negative iron balance and improve life quality. DFP has been shown to remove myocardial iron effectively. Curcuminoids (CUR) can chelate plasma NTBI, inhibit lipid peroxidation and alleviate cardiac autonomic imbalance. Effects of CUR on cardiac iron deposition and function were investigated in iron-loaded mice. Wild type ((mu)β(+/+) WT) and heterozygous β-knockout ((mu)β(th-3/+) BKO) mice (C57BL/6) were fed with ferrocene-supplemented diet (Fe diet) and coincidently intervened with CUR and DFP for 2 months. Concentrations of plasma NTBI and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured using HPLC techniques. Heart iron concentration was determined based on atomic absorption spectrophotometry and Perl's staining methods. Short-term electrocardiogram (ECG) was recorded with AD Instruments Power Lab, and heart rate variability (HRV) was evaluated using MATLAB 7.0 program. Fe diet increased levels of NTBI and MDA in plasma, nonheme iron and iron deposit in heart tissue significantly, and depressed the HRV, which the levels were higher in the BKO mice than the WT mice. CUR and DFP treatments lowered plasma NTBI as well as MDA concentrations (p <0.05), heart iron accumulation effectively, and also improved the HRV in the treated mice. The results imply that CUR would be effective in decreasing plasma NTBI and myocardial iron, alleviating lipid peroxidation and improving cardiac function in iron-loaded thalassemic mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thephinlap
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Phisalaphong
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lailerd
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chattipakorn
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Winichagoon
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vadolas
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fucharoen
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Porter
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Srichairatanakool
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003474:Curcumin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D007502:Iron Chelating Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019190:Iron Overload / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019266:Iron, Dietary / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D014168:Transferrin / Q000378:metabolism*; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007502:Iron Chelating Agents; D019266:Iron, Dietary; D014168:Transferrin; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D007501:Iron; D003474:Curcumin