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Curcumin Protects from Cardiac Reperfusion Damage by Attenuation of Oxidant Stress and Mitochondrial Dysfunction

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Abstract

This study was designed to investigate whether the pretreatment with curcumin, a yellow pigment from turmeric (Curcuma longa) known for its potent antioxidant capacity, was able to protect against the oxidant damage and mitochondrial dysfunction induced by reperfusion injury in isolated hearts. Rats were treated with a daily intragastric dose of curcumin (200 mg/kg) for 7 days prior to experimental ischemia (30 min) and reperfusion (60 min) (I/R). Cardiac mechanical work was measured during periods of stabilization, ischemia, and reperfusion. Oxidant stress and activity of antioxidant enzymes were measured in both homogenates of cardiac tissue and in isolated mitochondria. In addition, oxygen consumption was measured in isolated mitochondria. It was found that curcumin pretreatment attenuates the I/R injury as evidenced by (a) loss of cardiac mechanical work, (b) oxidant stress (increase in lipid peroxidation and decrease in reduced glutathione content) and (c) decrease in the activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and glutathione reductase in both cardiac tissue and isolated mitochondria, and (d) decrease in mitochondrial respiratory capacity. In conclusion, the protective effect of curcumin was associated with the attenuation of oxidant stress and mitochondrial dysfunction secondary to I/R injury.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by PAPIIT IN201910 and CONACYT 129838 (to JP) and CONACYT 80791 (to CZ).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Química, UNAM, Edificio F, Segundo Piso, Lab 209, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510, México D.F., Mexico

    Alfredo González-Salazar, Eduardo Molina-Jijón, Mariel Calderón-Oliver & José Pedraza-Chaverri

  2. Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología, Ignacio Chávez, 14080, México D.F., Mexico

    Francisco Correa & Cecilia Zazueta

  3. Departamento de Nefrología, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología, Ignacio Chávez, México D.F., Mexico

    Guillermo Zarco-Márquez & Edilia Tapia

Authors
  1. Alfredo González-Salazar
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  2. Eduardo Molina-Jijón
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  3. Francisco Correa
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  4. Guillermo Zarco-Márquez
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  5. Mariel Calderón-Oliver
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  6. Edilia Tapia
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  7. Cecilia Zazueta
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  8. José Pedraza-Chaverri
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Cecilia Zazueta or José Pedraza-Chaverri.

Additional information

Alfredo González-Salazar and Eduardo Molina-Jijón contributed equally to this work.

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González-Salazar, A., Molina-Jijón, E., Correa, F. et al. Curcumin Protects from Cardiac Reperfusion Damage by Attenuation of Oxidant Stress and Mitochondrial Dysfunction. Cardiovasc Toxicol 11, 357–364 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12012-011-9128-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12012-011-9128-9

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