title: Curcumin protects against acetaminophen-induced apoptosis in hepatic injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the effects of curcumin (CMN) on hepatic injury induced by acetaminophen (APAP) in vivo.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male mice were randomly divided into three groups: group I (control) mice received the equivalent volumes of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) intraperitoneally (ip); Group II [APAP + carboxymethylcellulose (CMC)] mice received 1% CMC (vehicle) 2 h before APAP injection; Group III (APAP + CMN) mice received curcumin (10 or 20 mg/kg, ip) 2 h before before or after APAP challenge. In Groups II and III, APAP was dissolved in pyrogen-free PBS and injected at a single dose of 300 mg/kg. CMN was dissolved in 1% CMC. Mice were sacrificed 16 h after the APAP injection to determine alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in serum and malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and hepatocyte apoptosis in liver tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both pre- and post-treatment with curcumin resulted in a significant decrease in serum ALT compared with APAP treatment group (10 mg/kg: 801.46 ± 661.34 U/L; 20 mg/kg: 99.68 ± 86.48 U/L vs 5406.80 ± 1785.75 U/L, P < 0.001, respectively). The incidence of liver necrosis was significantly lowered in CMN treated animals. MDA contents were significantly reduced in 20 mg/kg CMN pretreatment group, but increased in APAP treated group (10.96 ± 0.87 nmol/mg protein vs 16.03 ± 2.58 nmol/mg protein, P < 0.05). The decrease of SOD activity in APAP treatment group and the increase of SOD in 20 mg/kg CMN pretreatment group were also detected (24.54 ± 4.95 U/mg protein vs 50.21 ± 1.93 U/mg protein, P < 0.05). Furthermore, CMN treatment efficiently protected against APAP-induced apoptosis via increasing Bcl-2/Bax ratio.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CMN has significant therapeutic potential in both APAP-induced hepatotoxicity and other types of liver diseases.
authors.affiliation: Gang Li, Jun-Bao Chen, Chao Wang, Zhi Xu, Hao Nie, Xiao-Yan Qin, Xiao-Mei Chen, Quan Gong, Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jun-Bao
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.forename: Xiao-Yan
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Xiao-Mei
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Quan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gong
mesh_terms: D000082:Acetaminophen; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019610:Cytoprotection; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009336:Necrosis; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; C494827:Bax protein, mouse; D015415:Biomarkers; D020011:Protective Agents; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D000082:Acetaminophen; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D003474:Curcumin
keywords: Acetaminophen; Acute hepatic injury; Apoptosis; Curcumin; Free radicals