Curcumin combats against cigarette smoke and ethanol-induced lipid alterations in rat lung and liver

Human population, in spite of the medical and scientific achievements, still fall as a prey to the evils of habitual smoking and alcohol, thus necessitating safer counteracting measures.

To evaluate the effect of cotreatment of curcumin (Curcuma longa) in rats subjected to acute exposure to cigarette smoke (CS) and ethanol (EtOH).

Of the four groups of experimental rats, a set of rats was subjected to whole body exposure to cigarette smoke along with ethanol administration serving as a model of CS+EtOH injury. Curcumin treatment was given to two sets of rats: (i) one set receiving simultaneous CS+EtOH and (ii) one set of normal rats without any administration. The other group of rats served as control. Blood, liver and lung of rats were selected for assessment of CS+EtOH injury as well as curcumin treatment.

Altered lipid, lipoprotein profile and bile acid excretion were observed in CS+EtOH rats along with premalignant pathological state in tissues. In treated rats, the levels were maintained at near-normal levels along with near-normal histology.

This biochemical picture on cotreatment with curcumin suggests that curcumin could counteract the injurious effects of combined CS and EtOH and thus might help to reduce the risk of hyperlipidemic disorders which develop due to smoking and drinking.