Cell & Molecular Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Pharm Biol. 2013 Feb;51(2):206-12. doi: 10.3109/13880209.2012.716854. Epub 2012 Nov 2.
Curcumin is a yellow-orange polyphenol derived from turmeric [Curcuma longa L. (Zingiberaceaerhizomes)]. Turmeric is a main ingredient of Indian, Persian, and Thai dishes. Extensive studies within the last half a century have demonstrated the protective action of curcumin in many disorders of the body.
This study evaluated the protective effect of curcumin on dexamethasone-induced spermatogenesis defects in mice.
Thirty-two NMRI mice were randomly divided into 4 groups. The first (control) group received 1 mL/day of distilled water by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection for 7 days. The second group received 200 mg/kg/day of curcumin (Cur) for 10 days. Third group received 7 mg/kg/day of dexamethasone (Dex) for 7 days. Forth group received 200 mg/kg of curcumin for 10 days after dexamethasone treatment. Testicular histopathology, morphometric analysis, head sperm counting, and immunohistochemistry assessments were performed for evaluation of the dexamethasone and curcumin effects.
Expression of Bcl-2 was significantly increased in the curcumin + dexamethasone group compared with dexamethasone-treated animals (p < 0.05). Dexamethasone induced spermatogenesis defects including epithelial vacuolizations, sloughing of germ cells, reduction of seminiferous tubule diameter, reduction in the number of sperm heads and significant maturation arrest (p < 0.001). Curcumin + dexamethasone treatment significantly prevented these changes (p < 0.05).
The results of this study demonstrate that curcumin increases the expression of Bcl-2 protein, an important anti-apoptotic factor, and improves the spermatogenesis defects in dexamethasone treated mice. Curcumin has a potent protective effect against the testicular toxicity and might be clinically useful.
姜黄素是一种从姜黄（Curcuma longa L.（Zingiberaceae 根茎））中提取的黄色到橙色多酚。姜黄是印度、波斯和泰国菜肴的主要成分。在过去半个世纪的广泛研究中，已经证明了姜黄素在许多身体疾病中的保护作用。
本研究评估了姜黄素对小鼠地塞米松诱导的精子发生缺陷的保护作用。
32 只 NMRI 小鼠被随机分为 4 组。第一组（对照组）通过腹腔内（i.p.）注射每天接受 1 mL/天的蒸馏水，持续 7 天。第二组每天接受 200mg/kg 的姜黄素（Cur），持续 10 天。第三组每天接受 7mg/kg 的地塞米松（Dex），持续 7 天。第四组在接受地塞米松治疗后 10 天接受 200mg/kg 的姜黄素。进行睾丸组织病理学、形态计量分析、头部精子计数和免疫组织化学评估，以评估地塞米松和姜黄素的作用。
与地塞米松处理的动物相比，姜黄素+地塞米松组的 Bcl-2 表达显著增加（p <0.05）。地塞米松诱导精子发生缺陷，包括上皮空泡化、生殖细胞脱落、生精小管直径减小、精子头数减少和明显的成熟停滞（p <0.001）。姜黄素+地塞米松治疗显著预防了这些变化（p <0.05）。
本研究结果表明，姜黄素增加了 Bcl-2 蛋白的表达，Bcl-2 蛋白是一种重要的抗凋亡因子，并改善了地塞米松处理的小鼠的精子发生缺陷。姜黄素对睾丸毒性具有很强的保护作用，可能具有临床应用价值。
