Risperidone-induced metabolic dysfunction is attenuated by Curcuma longa extract administration in mice

Area of Science:

• Metabolic disorders
• Pharmacology
• Nutritional science

Background:

• Antipsychotics like risperidone can cause metabolic syndrome, characterized by obesity, abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism.
• Curcumin, a compound in turmeric, has shown potential in improving metabolic health and reducing weight in animal models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if curcumin can mitigate the metabolic dysfunction induced by risperidone in mice.
• To evaluate curcumin's effects on weight gain, fat distribution, glucose intolerance, and lipid metabolism in the context of risperidone treatment.

Main Methods:

• Mice were treated with risperidone or vehicle for 22 weeks, with some receiving curcumin supplementation.
• Evaluated effects on spontaneous motility, food intake, body weight, visceral adiposity, liver parameters, glucose tolerance, and lipid profiles.

Main Results:

• Curcumin partially reduced risperidone-induced spontaneous motility reduction but did not affect food intake or weight gain.
• Curcumin decreased visceral adiposity, hepatomegaly, hypertriglyceridemia, and glucose intolerance.
• Curcumin repressed hepatic overexpression of lipid metabolism enzymes and reduced markers of hepatotoxicity and inflammation.

Conclusions:

• Nutritional doses of curcumin can partially counteract risperidone-induced metabolic dysfunction in mice.
• Curcumin demonstrates potential in mitigating metabolic syndrome risks associated with risperidone therapy.
• Further investigation in humans is warranted to explore curcumin's therapeutic role.