EC Pharmacology And Toxicology

Arsenic is known to induce cytotoxicity through a couple of mechanisms viz. oxidative stress; mitochondrial dysfunction; inflammation; DNA damage and apoptosis. Several therapeutic agents including amino acids, vitamins, hormones, chelating agents and natural/herbal products derived from plants have been employed to reverse its toxicity. During present investigations, an attempt was made to observe the effects of nano curcumin (< 100 nm), synthesized from curcumin, an extract from a rhizome, Curcuma longa (Zingiberaceae) on pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNFα and IL-12), biomarkers of apoptosis (caspase-3 and caspase-9) and DNA damage (8-OHdG). Comet assay was employed to record DNA fragmentation. Female Wistar rats were administered 4 mg/kg b.w. arsenic trioxide and 50 mg/kg b.w. nano curcumin for sixty days. Results showed that nano curcumin could decrease the serum values of cytokines, inhibited activity of caspase-3 and caspase-9 in the liver, and decreased 8-OHdG values in the urine samples of arsenic treated rats. DNA damage studied through different parameters of Comet assay also exhibited protective effects of nano curcumin on apoptosis. It is hypothesized that biotransformed products of curcumin i.e. dihydroxycurcumin and tetrahydroxycurcumin contribute in protection against arsenicosis through autoxidation and double cyclization mechanisms. Smaller molecular size, enhanced bioavailability and sustained uptake of nano curcumin by hepatocytes further strengthen its antioxidative effects.

 Keywords: Arsenic; Nano-Curcumin; Inflammation; Apoptosis; DNA Damage

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