Protective effect of curcumin on kidney in carbon tetrachloride administered rats

Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is a chemical agent used for the production of industrial materials. CCl4 exposition leads to kidney damage through oxidative stress. Curcumin, isolated from Curcuma longa plant is an important component of turmeric. It eliminates free radicals with its high anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, and antioxidant characteristics. The healing effect of curcumin on kidney damage from CCl4 is investigated in our study. 32 mature, 300-350 g Wistar albino rats were split into 4 groups for the study. For 3 weeks, the control group was given 1 ml of olive oil by gavage every day. Curcumin group was given 200 mg/kg of curcumin dissolved in olive oil at a ratio of 1:1, by gavage. The CCl4 group was given 0.5 ml/kg CCl4 dissolved in olive oil at a ratio of 1:1 every other day, intraperitoneally (IP). The CCl4+curcumin group was given 200 mg/kg curcumin dissolved in olive oil at a ratio of 1:1 every other day by gavage, and 0.5 ml/kg of CCl4 by IP every other day. At the end of the experiment, histopathological analysis by making H&E, Masson Trichrome, PAS staining; histomorphometric analysis by the approximate glomerulus diameter/Bowman diameter measuring formula; biochemical analysis by serum urea and creatinine, TAS, TOS, OSI parameters from tissue; and immunohistochemical analysis with TNF-α and caspase-3 are performed. As a result of the analysis, it was observed that CCl4 caused kidney damage due to oxidative stress, and curcumin had a protective effect against this damage with its antiinflammatory, antiapoptotic, and antioxidant characteristics.