Comparison Study between Curcumin and Enalapril Treatment in Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction Rats

Objective To investigate the effect of curcumin on renal interstitial fibrosis following unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO), and compare the effects of Curcumin with that of Enalapril. Method UUO rat model was used. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups with 8 rats each:shame-operated group (0.9% saline solution), model group (dimethyl sulphoxide, DMSO), Curcumin treatment group [curcumin 100 mg/(kg·d)], and Enalapril treatment group [enalapril 10 mg/(kg·d)]. All rats were killed 4 w after surgery. The degree of tubulointerstitial fibrosis was scored by HE and Masson staining. The sites and levels of protein expression of TGF-β1, CTGF and TIMP-1 were detected by immunohistochemistry staining. Result Compared with those of shame-operated group, the blood urea nitrogen level was significantly increased (P 0.01), and the relative area of interstitial fibrosis was also significantly enlarged, the expression of TGF-β1, CTGF and TIMP-1 protein was significantly up-regulated in kidney tissue of model group (P 0.01). After intervention with Curcumin or Enalapril, the upregulation of the above-mentioned parameters were all significantly inhibited (P 0.05 or P 0.01). There was no significant difference of intervention effects between Curcumin and Enalapril (P 0.05). Conclusion Pharmacological effects of Curcumin or Enalapril on unilateral ureteral obstruction rats are quite similar. These effects may result from the down-regulation of TGF-β1, CTGF and TIMP-1 expression in kidney tissue.