Curcumin Modulates the Differential Effects of Fructose and High-fat Diet on Renal Damage, Inflammation, Fibrosis, and Lipid Metabolism

BACKGROUND: Dyslipidemia and obesity hypercaloric diet-induced lead to kidney damage. We investigated the effect of curcumin on the expression of proteins related to inflammation, fibrosis, fatty acids metabolism, kidney damage, and morphological changes in the kidneys of mice hypercaloric diets-fed. METHODS: Groups of 5-week-old C57BL/6 mice (n=6) were formed: Control (C), High-fructose diet (F), Highfructose diet and curcumin (F+Cur), High-fat diet (HFD), High-fat diet and curcumin (HFD+Cur), High-fat diet and fructose (HFD+F), High-fat diet, fructose and curcumin (HFD+F+Cur), treated for 16 weeks with 30% (w/v) fructose, 60% (w/w) fat and 0.75% (w/w) curcumin. Kidneys were obtained for histomorphological and Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Curcumin prevented TNF-α overexpression in the F and HFD+F groups. VLCAD expression was higher in the F, HFD, and HFD+F groups. PPARγ expression was lower in the F+Cur, HFD+Cur, and HFD+F+Cur groups. Curcumin prevented overexpression of CPT1 and KIM1 in the HFD+F and HFD groups. Curcumin prevented morphological lesions, fibrosis, and lipid deposition that were hypercaloric diet-induced. CONCLUSION: Chronic consumption of hypercaloric diets causes inflammation, fibrosis, and lipid deposition in the kidney. It is suggested that curcumin prevents renal structural damage, limits tissue lipid deposition, and differentially modulates renal injury depending on diet composition in mice fed high-fat and/or high-fructose diets.