title: Curcumin Modulates Muscle Damage but not Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Defense Following Eccentric Exercise in Rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of curcumin on eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage and oxidative stress in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: Control (C; no curcumin, no exercise; n=6), Curcumin (Cur; n=8), Exercise (E; n=8) and Exercise Plus Curcumin (ECur; n=8). Curcumin was given for 20 days via oral gavage at doses of 200 mg/kg(-1) of body weight per day, dissolved in corn oil. On the 21st day eccentric exercise was provided via a treadmill run and the rats were sacrificed immediately after.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eccentric exercise resulted in significant (p<0.05) increases in all injury markers such as creatine kinase (CK) and myoglobin, but curcumin supplementation tended to decrease CK activity (p>0.05) and significantly decreased myoglobin levels (p<0.05). In blood and muscle samples, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were not affected by either curcumin or exercise (p>0.05). MDA levels in liver tissue decreased in the ECur group, compared to the control (p<0.05). Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and glutathione (GSH) levels were affected by neither curcumin nor exercise (p>0.05), in blood, muscle and liver tissues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study suggest that curcumin has a protective effect on eccentric exercise induced muscle damage, and that this effect might be independent of oxidative stress and antioxidant systems.
authors.affiliation: 1 Division of Sports Physiology, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Selçuk University, Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ismail
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Boz
authors.forename: Muaz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Belviranli
authors.forename: Nilsel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Okudan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis*; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D003474:Curcumin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000032:analysis; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000293:injuries*; D009211:Myoglobin / Q000097:blood; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005082:Physical Exertion; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D009211:Myoglobin; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D003402:Creatine Kinase; D003474:Curcumin
keywords: curcumin; exercise; muscle damage; oxidative stress