Ameliorating Paraquat-Induced Nephrotoxicity in Rats: Protective Effects of Nanocurcumin on Renal Histology and Molecular Pathways.

Abstract

Background: Paraquat (PQ) is a common herbicide, and its mortality results from injury to several organs, including the kidneys. Nanocurcumin and curcumin have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative activities, but their involvement in PQ-induced kidney damage is unclear. Therefore, the goal of our study was to compare nanocurcumin and curcumin in male rats whose kidneys were damaged by PQ.

Method: 42 eight-week male albino Wistar rats were put into six groups at random as control, control + curcumin, control + nanocurcumin, PQ, PQ + curcumin, PQ + nanocurcumin for 7 days. The kidney tissues and serum were collected at the end of this period. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC), lipid peroxidation (LPO), total thiol Molecule (TTM), urea, creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels were assessed. The histopathological evaluation of kidney damage was performed at the end of our study. Moreover, the gene expression was assessed by biochemical and Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis.

Result: Curcumin and nanocurcumin administration alleviated PQ-induced renal injury, as evidenced by reduced serum creatinine and BUN levels. The levels of antioxidant markers, like TAC and TTM, increased and decreased the levels of oxidative stress indexes like LPO. Furthermore, our result shows up-regulating the expression of nuclear factor-like 2 (Nrf2), NAD (P) H: quinine oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), and down-regulating the expression of Kelchlike ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap-1) in renal tissue.

Conclusion: Niosomal curcumin was more advantageous than ordinary curcumin in lowering oxidative stress and renal tissue damage induced by paraquat intoxication.