Curcumin-carrying nanoparticles prevent ischemia-reperfusion injury in human renal cells

• Published in: Oncotarget Vol. 7; no. 52; pp. 87390 - 87401
• Main Authors: Xu, Yong, Hu, Ning, Jiang, Wei, Yuan, Hong-Fang, Zheng, Dong-Hui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Impact Journals LLC 27.12.2016
• Subjects: Apoptosis - drug effects; Caspase 3 - metabolism; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Cells, Cultured; Curcumin - chemistry; Curcumin - pharmacology; Humans; Kidney - blood supply; Nanoparticles; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 - analysis; Reactive Oxygen Species - metabolism; Reperfusion Injury - prevention & control; Research Paper; Solubility; ischemia-reperfusion injury; Curcumin; nanoparticles
• ISSN: 1949-2553; 1949-2553
• DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.13626

Renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a major complication in clinical practice. However, despite its frequency, effective preventive/treatment strategies for this condition are scarce. Curcumin possesses antioxidant properties and is a promising potential protective agent against renal IRI, but its poor water solubility restricts its application. In this study, we constructed curcumin-carrying distearoylphosphatidylethanolamine-polyethylene glycol nanoparticles (Cur-NPs), and their effect on HK-2 cells exposed to IRI was examined in vitro. Curcumin encapsulated in NPs demonstrated improved water solubility and slowed release. Compared with the IRI and Curcumin groups, Cur-NP groups displayed significantly improved cell viability, downregulated protein expression levels of caspase-3 and Bax, upregulated expression of Bcl-2 protein, increased antioxidant superoxide dismutase level, and reduced apoptotic rate, reactive oxygen species level, and malondialdehyde content. Results clearly showed that Cur-NPs demonstrated good water solubility and slow release, as well as exerted protective effects against oxidative stress in cultured HK-2 cells exposed to IRI.