[Curcumin inhibits iron overload-induced hepatocytic apoptosis and nuclear factor-κB activity]

Iron is an essential micronutrient for human beings but its overload induces various diseases of liver, the main body storage site for iron, such as liver fibrosis. Curcumin is a natural polyphenol derived from turmeric and has been used widely. Its pharmacological action has attracted great attention in recent years. The apoptosis of rat cultured hepatocytes was induced by FeNTA (ferric nitrilotriacetate)-induced Iron overload. The present study was to examine the effect of curcumin at low concentrations on FeNTA-induced apoptosis of hepatocytes and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

After the incubation of hepatocytes with 100 µmol/L FeNTA in the presence or absence of 1 - 10 µmmol/L of curcumin, a series of analyses were performed, including the analyses of hepatocytic apoptosis, the expressions of proteins relating with the regulations of cell apoptosis, caspase-3 activity, the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nuclear factor NF-κB activity.

Curcumin reduced the FeNTA-induced hepatocytic apoptosis by 46.65% and significantly down-regulated the protein levels of Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL. In contrast, it had no effect on the protein levels of Bax and Bad. The curcumin treatment reduced FeNTA-caused production of ROS and caspase-3 activity by 45.01% and 59.71% respectively. And the NF-κB activity was also inhibited.

Curcumin at low concentrations reduces iron overload-caused hepatocytic apoptosis and NF-κB activity, the key regulatory transcription factor for the inflammation-related gene expression in cultured hepatocyte.