Curcumin Effect on Rats Hepato-Renal Functions, Hematological Parameters, and Inflammatory Markers in Comparison with Celecoxib and Prednisolone

The present study was performed to investigate curcumin's effect on hepato-renal functions, some hematological parameters, and inflammatory markers in carrageenan-injected rats compared with celecoxib and prednisolone. Sixty male rats were divided into five groups (G1 and G2: control, G3, G4, and G5: orally received celecoxib (10 mg /kg), prednisolone (5 mg /kg), and curcumin (100 mg /kg) respectively. All groups 2, 3, 4, and 5 received single subcutaneous carrageenan injection, 0.1 ml carrageenan sodium (1.5 % solution in saline), in rat paw after 14 days. Serum inflammatory markers interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6)), liver function tests (alanine aminotransferase "ALT", albumin and bilirubin), kidney function tests (urea and creatinine), platelets and white blood cells (WBCs) count were measured. The results revealed that curcumin administration induced a significant downregulation in inflammatory markers compared with the carrageenan-treated group. Also, the current results revealed that curcumin has no side effects on the liver, kidney function, and on platelets and WBCs count; on the contrary, it improved the carrageenan effect on these parameters, unlike celecoxib and prednisolone. Based on the above-mentioned findings, it could be concluded that curcumin is displayed as an anti-inflammatory with minimum side effects on hepato-renal function and hematological variables, unlike celecoxib and prednisolone.