Title:The Inefficiency of Low-concentration Curcumin Intervention in Ameliorating
Chronic-stage Pulmonary Fibrosis
Volume: 20
Issue: 2
Author(s): Fathimath Muneesa Moideen and Yashodhar Prabhakar Bhandary*
Affiliation:
- Yenepoya Research Centre, Yenepoya University, Deralakatte, Mangalore, Karnataka, 575018, India
Keywords:
Curcumin, pulmonary fibrosis, fibrinolytic system, bleomycin, acute lung injury, inflammatory mediators.
Abstract:
Background: Curcumin, a polyphenol compound, is reported to exhibit ameliorative
effects in acute lung injury and different organ fibrosis models. We have previously demonstrated
that curcumin, at a dose of 75 mg/kg, could modulate inflammatory mediators and fibrinolytic system
proteins in the inflammatory stage as well as fibroproliferative stage in a mouse model of bleomycin
(BLM) induced pulmonary fibrosis. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of the same
dose of curcumin in resolving the established fibrotic stage in a mouse model of BLM-induced
pulmonary fibrosis.
Methods: We prepared the fibrosis model by intranasal administration of BLM (2 mg/kg). Curcumin
intervention was performed by intraperitoneal injection on 16th to 20th days post BLM exposure.
The control group was administered with normal saline. The mice were sacrificed on the 21st
day post BLM exposure.
Results: Histological analysis of the lung tissue samples indicated that curcumin (75 mg/kg) could
not reverse the fibrotic features induced by BLM. We also performed RT-PCR and western blot to
examine the molecular changes induced by BLM and curcumin. It was observed that curcumin
could neither reduce the expressions of fibrotic markers nor restore the normal expressions of proteins
in the fibrinolytic system.
Conclusion: Our data suggest that a low dose of curcumin is not effective in ameliorating the fibrotic
stage of BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis. An increased dose or a formulation that increases
the bioavailability of curcumin could probably exhibit promising effects against pulmonary fibrosis
in the future.