Comparative Study on the Effects between Curcumin and Eenalapril on Transdifferentiation of Renal Tubular Epithelial Cells in Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction Rats

Objective To compare the effects of curcumin and enalapril on transdifferentiation of renal tubular epithelial cells in unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) rats. 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), curcumin treatment group [curcumin 100 mg/(kg·d)], and enalapril treatment group [enalapril 10 mg/(kg·d)]. Medicines were given intraperitoneally daily two days after the operation. All rats were killed 4w after surgery. The degree of tubulointerstitial fibrosis was scored by HE and Masson staining, and the sites and levels of protein expression of TGF-β1、α-SMA and vimentin were detected by immunohistochemistry staining. Result Compared with shame-operated group, the serum urea nitrogen level was significantly increased (P 0.01), and the relative area of interstitial fibrosis was also significantly enlarged in the model group (P0.01), the expression of TGF-β1、α-SMA and Vimentin protein was significantly up-regulated in their kidney tissue (P 0.01). After intervention with curcumin or enalapril, the up-regulation of the above-mentioned parameters were all significantly inhibited (P0.05 or 0.01). There was no significant difference of intervention effects between curcumin and enalapril (P 0.05). Conclusion The pharmacological effects of curcumin and enalapril may be partly mediated by inhibiting the transdifferentiation of renal tubular epithelial cells towards myofibroblast in UUO rats.