Protective effect of curcumin on hepatocytes in rats with sepsis

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the protective effect of curcumin on hepatocytes in rats with sepsis. METHODS:Eighty healthy male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into sham operation group, sepsis group, Xuebijing group and curcumin group (20 rats in each group) according to the random number table method. The animal model of sepsis was established by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). In the sham operation group, the cecum was removed only after the operation. The rats in Xuebijing group and curcumin group were injected with 4 mL/kg Xuebijing, 100 mg/kg curcumin intraperitoneally at 0, 8 and 16 hours after operation (diluted with normal saline to 4 mL/kg) respectively; Sham operation group and sepsis group were injected with the same volume of normal saline. Five rats in each group were sacrificed at 2, 6, 12 and 24 hours after operation, the blood sample was collected, and liver tissues were harvested. The levels of serum procalcitonin (PCT), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL-6, IL-1β) were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the pathological changes of liver tissues were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and apoptosis index (AI) was measured by TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) method. RESULTS:The degree of hepatocyte injury in sepsis group increased gradually with time, the apoptotic cells gradually increased, and the AI of liver cells increased to 24 hours; serum levels of PCT, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β were significantly higher than those in the sham operated group at 2 hours after operation and gradually increased to peak at 12 hours. The injury degree of liver tissue in Xuebijing group and curcumin group was significantly lighter than that in sepsis group, and the number of apoptotic cells were significantly decreased; the AI of hepatocytes and serum levels of PCT, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β were significantly lower than those of sepsis group from 2 hours [AI: (11.89±1.34)%, (11.56±0.96)% vs. (23.59±2.00)% at 2 hours, (28.95±1.40)%, (30.35±1.20)% vs. (52.05±1.31)% at 24 hours; PCT (μg/L): 1.27±0.18, 1.13±0.19 vs. 2.41±0.21 at 2 hours, 5.07±0.45, 5.09±0.42 vs. 8.68±0.58 at 12 hours; TNF-α (ng/L): 127.93±9.53, 124.73±7.47 vs. 217.28±14.24 at 2 hours, 171.03±8.58, 168.68±6.95 vs. 314.13±14.39 at 12 hours; IL-6 (ng/L): 132.15±9.27, 136.14±8.42 vs. 153.35±12.64 at 2 hours, 211.65±8.52, 213.37±8.96 vs. 298.11±12.35 at 12 hours; IL-1β (ng/L): 33.59±1.49, 35.05±1.00 vs. 61.84±3.21 at 2 hours; 81.76±2.80, 84.06±3.42 vs. 132.24±2.58 at 12 hours, all P < 0.05]. There was no significant difference in the above indexes between Xuebijing group and curcumin group. CONCLUSIONS:Curcumin can inhibit the inflammatory response of hepatocytes in sepsis rats and reduce the apoptosis of hepatocytes, which can protect hepatocytes from sepsis.