Protective Effect of Curcumin in Oxidative Stress-Induced Injury on Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells

Background/Objectives: Oxidative stress is the major cause of retinal pigment epithelial cell death. We used oxidative stress-injured retinal pigment epithelial cells to investigate the protective effects of curcumin, a strong antioxidant, on the Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome pathway. Methods: To evaluate the effect of curcumin, cell viability was measured with cell counting kit-8 and lactate dehydrogenase assays. Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-injured ARPE-19 cells were treated with different curcumin concentrations. We performed a wound healing assay and dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate staining. Western blotting and immunofluorescence staining were performed to evaluate the changes in inflammasome levels in the ARPE-19 cells. Result: H₂O₂ (300 μM) reduced the viability of ARPE-19 cells. However, treatment with 7.5 μM curcumin enhanced ARPE-19 cell viability and reduced cell toxicity. Curcumin also reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in the H₂O₂-induced damaged ARPE-19 cells and attenuated the H₂O₂-dependent levels of the NLRP3 inflammasome and its related signaling proteins. Conclusions: Curcumin demonstrated protective effects against oxidative stress in retinal pigment epithelial cells by attenuating the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. These findings suggest the therapeutic potential of curcumin as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent for macular degeneration.