The effect of curcumin against cisplatin-caused kidney damage in rats

Nephrotoxicity is one of the important side effect of cisplatin which is an antineoplastic agent. It involves decreased glomerular filtration rate, high serum creatinin, lower serum potassium and magnesium levels and ischemic-necrotic damage on kidney. This situation causes degeneration of the general organ structure and loss of function. Curcumin is a compound that has primarily antioxidant, antifibrogenic, anticarsinogenic and antiinflammatory properties. In this study, we aimed to investigate the recuperative effect of curcumin against cisplatin-caused kidney damage in rats. Wistar albino 26 Adult rats were divided into four groups. Control group received DMSO for six days. A single dose of 20 mg/kg cisplatin is intraperitoneally injected to cisplatin group on the third day of experiment. The curcumin+cisplatin group received intraperitoneal 200 mg/kg curcumin for six days and 20 mg/kg cisplatin on the third day. The curcumin group received 200 mg/kg curcumin for six days. The rats were sacrified at the seventh day. The kidney tissues were taken and necessary procedures were applied for light and electron microscopic evaluations and biochemical assays. There was no damage in the curcumin group and the results of this group was similar to the normal group. In the cisplatin group, we had showed congestion, intracellular casts and tubular necrosis in renal cortex. However, in the cisplatin+curcumin group, degenerative alterations decreased and general cell organisation of renal tissue was close to the normal group.