MECHANISM OF CURCUMIN RELIEVING RADIATION-INDUCED PANCREATIC TISSUE INJURY AND INHIBITING PANCREATIC CELL APOPTOSIS IN RATS

Hongwei Zhang

Department of Laboratory of Clinical Immunology, Wuhan No.1 Hospital, Wuhan, PR China

Objective: To analyze the mechanism of curcumin relieving radiation-induced pancreatic tissue injury and inhibiting pancreatic cell apoptosis in rats.

Methods: A total of 50 healthy Kunming mice were randomly divided into normal control group, curcumin control group, radiation control group, low-dose curcumin group and high-dose curcumin group. Mice administered orally with different doses of curcumin were systemically irradiated with 60Co-γ rays, and the mice were killed on the 2nd day after irradiation. The expression levels of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins, cell proliferation activity and apoptosis rate of pancreatic tissues were detected using an immunohistochemistry method.

Results: The cell proliferation rate and Bcl-2 expression rate in high-dose and low-dose curcumin groups were lower than those in the normal control group, but significantly increased compared with those in radiation control group (P<0.05). The apoptosis rate and Bax expression rate in high-dose and low-dose curcumin groups were obviously reduced compared with those in the radiation control group (P<0.05), and the above indexes in the high-dose curcumin group were markedly better than those in the low-dose curcumin group (P<0.05). The cell proliferation rate and Bcl-2 expression rate in the curcumin control group were remarkably higher than those in the normal control group, the apoptosis rate and Bax expression in the curcumin control group were significantly lower than those in the normal control group and all differences were statistically significant (P<0.05).

Conclusion: Curcumin can reduce the injury of pancreatic tissue induced by 60Co-γ rays, decrease the apoptosis rate of pancreatic cells and the expression of related genes and has a certain protective effect on radiation injury.