title: Does curcumin protect against renal dysfunction following reversible unilateral ureteric obstruction in the rat?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of curcumin on the alterations in renal functional parameters following reversible unilateral ureteric obstruction in the rat.
  
  
  METHODS
  Wistar rats underwent reversible left ureteric obstruction for 72 h. The group Cm (n = 7) received oral curcumin (200 mg/kg/day), whereas the Vx group (n = 8) had only a vehicle.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ureteric obstruction caused a significant increase in the serum tumour necrosis factor α in both groups. However, the post-obstruction level in the Cm group was significantly lower than in the Vx group. In the Vx group, the glomerular filtration rate, renal blood flow, urine volume and urinary sodium excretion in the left obstructed kidney were significantly lower than those in the right kidney, but the fractional excretion of sodium was comparable in the 2 groups. The left kidney in the Cm group behaved similar to that in the Vx group. Moreover, there was no difference in any variable when comparing the right and left kidneys among the groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Curcumin appears to have no significant protective effect on the haemodynamic or tubular glomerular functions when measured as early as 3 days following reversible ureteric obstruction despite the amelioration in some of the indicators of renal injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. fayez@mail2doctor.com
authors.forename: F T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Hammad
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lubbad
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000097:blood; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood; D014517:Ureteral Obstruction / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D003474:Curcumin