title: Injurious effects of curcumin on maturation of mouse oocytes, fertilization and fetal development via apoptosis.
abstract: Curcumin, a common dietary pigment and spice, is a hydrophobic polyphenol derived from the rhizome of the herb Curcuma longa. Previously, we reported a cytotoxic effect of curcumin on mouse embryonic stem cells and blastocysts and its association with defects in subsequent development. In the present study, we further investigated the effects of curcumin on oocyte maturation and subsequent pre- and post-implantation development, both in vitro and in vivo. Notably, curcumin induced a significant reduction in the rate of oocyte maturation, fertilization, and in vitro embryonic development. Treatment of oocytes with curcumin during in vitro maturation (IVM) led to increased resorption of postimplantation embryos and decreased fetal weight. Experiments with an in vivo mouse model disclosed that consumption of drinking water containing 40 μM curcumin led to decreased oocyte maturation and in vitro fertilization as well as early embryonic developmental injury. Finally, pretreatment with a caspase-3-specific inhibitor effectively prevented curcumin-triggered injury effects, suggesting that embryo impairment by curcumin occurs mainly via a caspase-dependent apoptotic process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience Technology and Center for Nanotechnology, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung Li 32023, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Chi
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience Technology and Center for Nanotechnology, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung Li 32023, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-Hsiung
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000187:drug effects; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D003474:Curcumin / Q000633:toxicity*; D010064:Embryo Implantation / Q000187:drug effects; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization / Q000187:drug effects*; D020567:Fetal Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009865:Oocytes / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D053148:Caspase 3; D003474:Curcumin