Curcumin ameliorates cisplatin-induced cystopathy via activating NRF2 pathway

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Toxicology
• Urology

Background:

• Cisplatin is a widely used chemotherapy agent.
• Cisplatin can induce bladder toxicity, known as cystopathy.
• Preventive strategies against cisplatin-induced cystopathy are crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the preventive effect of curcumin on cisplatin-induced bladder cystopathy.
• To investigate the underlying mechanisms of curcumin's protective action.

Main Methods:

• Female rats were divided into control, cisplatin-only, and cisplatin plus curcumin groups.
• Urodynamic analysis was performed to assess bladder function.
• Histopathological analysis (H&E, Masson trichrome), apoptosis assays (TUNEL, flow cytometry), and Western blotting for specific proteins (NGF, NRF2, HO-1) were conducted.

Main Results:

• Curcumin treatment ameliorated cisplatin-induced bladder dysfunction and histopathological damage.
• Curcumin significantly reduced cisplatin-induced apoptosis in bladder cells.
• Curcumin increased nerve growth factor (NGF) expression, suggesting neuroprotection.
• Curcumin activated NRF2 and elevated hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression, but protection was lost in NRF2-knockdown cells.

Conclusions:

• Curcumin effectively ameliorates cisplatin-induced cystopathy and inhibits bladder cell apoptosis in rats.
• Curcumin's protective effects are attributed to its antioxidant properties and NRF2 activation.
• Curcumin demonstrates potential as a therapeutic agent to mitigate chemotherapy-induced bladder toxicity.