Investigation of protective role of curcumin against paclitaxel-induced inner ear damage in rats

The effectiveness of curcumin as a safe agent on hearing threshold improvement in patients with chronic kidney disease: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Hearing impairment in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), can affect the quality of life. At present, hearing dysfunction does not have an approved pharmacologic therapy. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects and possible mechanisms of curcumin as a therapeutic agent on hearing impairment in patients with chronic kidney disease. We conducted a randomized controlled trial of 40 chronic kidney disease patients not on dialysis with hearing impairment. Participants were randomly divided into two groups. One group received curcumin daily and the other received a placebo for 12 weeks. The interval between III and V waves, latency of wave V, auditory brain stem response (ABR) threshold, speech reception threshold (SRT), and speech discrimination score (SDS) were evaluated and analyzed before and after the intervention. After treatment, in the curcumin group, III-V waves interval and the latency of wave V were significantly reduced (P value < 0.0001), also ABR threshold was demonstrated a significant improvement (P value < 0.0001). In the trial group, the SDS was increased (P = 0.001) and the SRT was attenuated (P < 0.0001). We had either significant deterioration due to the course of the disease or insignificant changes in the placebo group. Daily administration of curcumin, can significantly improve hearing impairment in CKD patients. Accordingly, curcumin should be considered as a therapeutic option for treating hearing impairment in patients with chronic kidney disease.

The Relevance of Autophagy within Inner Ear in Baseline Conditions and Tinnitus-Related Syndromes

Tinnitus is the perception of noise in the absence of acoustic stimulation (phantom noise). In most patients suffering from chronic peripheral tinnitus, an alteration of outer hair cells (OHC) starting from the stereocilia (SC) occurs. This is common following ototoxic drugs, sound-induced ototoxicity, and acoustic degeneration. In all these conditions, altered coupling between the tectorial membrane (TM) and OHC SC is described. The present review analyzes the complex interactions involving OHC and TM. These need to be clarified to understand which mechanisms may underlie the onset of tinnitus and why the neuropathology of chronic degenerative tinnitus is similar, independent of early triggers. In fact, the fine neuropathology of tinnitus features altered mechanisms of mechanic-electrical transduction (MET) at the level of OHC SC. The appropriate coupling between OHC SC and TM strongly depends on autophagy. The involvement of autophagy may encompass degenerative and genetic tinnitus, as well as ototoxic drugs and acoustic trauma. Defective autophagy explains mitochondrial alterations and altered protein handling within OHC and TM. This is relevant for developing novel treatments that stimulate autophagy without carrying the burden of severe side effects. Specific phytochemicals, such as curcumin and berberin, acting as autophagy activators, may mitigate the neuropathology of tinnitus.

Evaluation of curcumin effect on Il6, Sirt1, TNFα and NFkB expression of liver tissues in diabetic mice with STZ

Background

Curcumin is active ingredient of turmeric The main purpose of this study is evaluating impact of curcumin on suger, hypoalgesia and inflammatory factors in diabetic mice.

Materials and methods

Male mice divided into six groups of 6. One group as a negative and the other five groups injected with Streptozotocin (STZ) (200 mg/kg). Diabetic mice in each group given different treatments for twenty-one days.After that, blood sugar and neuroathy studies have been done and tissue samples the liver were studied for gene expression.

Result

Curcumin reduced blood sugar, but the rate of hypoglycemia was significantly lower than metformin group P > 0.05, and the comparison of the synergistic effect of curcumin and metformin with metformin was not significant P > 0.05. Also, in neuropathy studies, the groups which recieved curcumin and metformin have shown a significant difference with diabetic group P < 0.01, Also, by evaluating inflammatory factors, there was a significant difference in the expression of TNF-a, IL-6 and NfkB, but there is no significant difference in the expression of Sirt1 P < 0.05.

Conclusions

The analgesic effect of curcumin was quite evident, probably due to the significant impact of this herbal drug in reducing the expression of inflammatory genes NF-kB, IL6, and TNF-α.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40200-022-01090-4.

Cabazitaxel's ototoxicity: An animal study and histopathologic research

Introduction

Chemotherapeutic agents can have both serious side effects and ototoxicity, which can be caused by direct toxic effects or by metabolic derangement by the agents. Cabazitaxel (CBZ) is a next-generation semi-synthetic taxane derivative that is effective in both preclinical models of human tumors that are sensitive or resistant to chemotherapy and in patients suffering from progressive prostate cancer despite docetaxel treatment. The primary aim of this study is to investigate the ototoxicity of CBZ in a rat model.

Materials and Methods

: A total of 24 adult male Wistar-Albino rats were equally and randomly divided into four groups. CBZ (Jevtana, Sanofi-Aventis USA) was intraperitoneally administered to Groups 2, 3, and 4 at doses of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mg/kg/week, respectively, for 4 consecutive weeks; Group 1 received only i.p. saline at the same time. At the end of the study, the animals were sacrificed and their cochlea removed for histopathological examination.

Results

: Intraperitoneal administration of CBZ exerted an ototoxic effect on rats, and the histopathological results became worse in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

: Our findings suggest that CBZ may be an ototoxic agent and can damage the cochlea. More clinical studies should be conducted to understand its ototoxicity.

Curcumin attenuates gentamicin and sodium salicylate ototoxic effects by modulating the nuclear factor-kappaB and apoptotic pathways in rats

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of curcumin (CCM) against gentamicin (GEN) and sodium salicylates (NaS)-induced ototoxic effects in rats. For 15 consecutive days, seven rat groups were given 1 mL/rat physiological saline orally, 1 mL/rat olive oil orally, 50 mg/kg bwt CCM orally, 120 mg/kg bwt GEN intraperitoneally, 300 mg/kg bwt NaS intraperitoneally, CCM+GEN, or CCM+NaS. The distortion product otoacoustic emission measurements were conducted. The rats' hearing function and balance have been behaviorally assessed using auditory startle response, Preyer reflex, and beam balance scale tests. The serum lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress biomarkers have been measured. Immunohistochemical investigations of the apoptotic marker caspase-3 and the inflammatory indicator nuclear factor kappa (NF-κB) in cochlear tissues were conducted. GEN and NaS exposure resulted in deficit hearing and impaired ability to retain balance. GEN and NaS exposure significantly decreased the reduced glutathione level and catalase activity but increased malondialdehyde content. GEN and NaS exposure evoked pathological alterations in cochlear and vestibular tissues and increased caspase-3 and NF-κB immunoexpression. CCM significantly counteracted the GEN and NaS injurious effects. These outcomes concluded that CCM could be a naturally efficient therapeutic agent against GEN and NaS-associated ototoxic side effects.

Paklitakselin neden olduğu oksidatif hasara karşı farnesenin otoprotektif etkileri

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, güçlü serbest radikal süpürücü ve antioksidan özelliklere sahip farnesenin paklitaksel kaynaklı ototoksisite üzerindeki etkilerini biyokimyasal ve fonksiyonel yönden araştırmaktır. Gereç ve Yöntem: On sekiz erkek Wistar albino sıçan, altı sıçandan oluşan üç gruba rastgele ayrıldı. Araştırma boyunca kontrol grubuna paklitaksel veya farnesen verilmedi. Paklitaksel grubuna, 5mg/kg paklitaksel intraperitoneal olarak dört kez (1., 7., 14. ve 21. günlerde) verildi. Farnesen + paklitaksel grubuna, önce 5 mg/kg paklitaksel, 30 dakika sonra 50 mg/kg farnesen intraperitoneal olarak 4 kez (1., 7., 14. ve 21. günlerde) verildi. 0. ve 21. günlerde tüm sıçanların otoakustik emisyon ölçümü yapıldı. Daha sonra hayvanlar sakrifiye edildi ve biyokimyasal testler için kokleaları çıkarıldı. Bulgular: Paklitaksel, önemli ölçüde malondialdehit seviyelerini yükselterek ve glutatyon seviyelerini düşürerek kokleada oksidatif strese neden oldu. Ayrıca paklitaksel grubunun distorsiyon ürünü otoakustik emisyon değerleri diğer gruplara göre anlamlı derecede düşüktü. Farnesen+paklitaksel grubunda ise paklitakselin çeşitli biyokimyasal ve fonksiyonel parametrelerde oluşturduğu hasarda iyileşmeler gözlendi. Sonuç: Çalışma sonuçları doğal bir antioksidan olan farnesen’in sıçanlarda paklitaksel kaynaklı işitme kaybını azalttığını, farnesen ve paklitaksel kombinasyonunun gelecekte klinik kullanım için paklitaksel kaynaklı ototoksisiteden koruyabileceğini göstermektedir.

The Benefits of Curcuminoid to Expression Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2 Related Factor 2 (NRF2) and Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) Value in the Noise Exposed Organ of Corti of Rattus Norvegicus

BACKGROUND

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) can cause damage to the cochlea. Curcumin and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) are transcription activators that play a crucial role in defence mechanisms against oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of curcuminoid administration on NRF2 expression, in the organ of Corti of cochlea of Rattus norvegicus that were exposed to noise, from the results of the distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) examination.

METHODS

We divided 36 rats into six groups including Group 1 (control); Group 2 (noise exposure without curcuminoid administration); Group 3 (noise exposure+curcuminoid dose 100 mg/day for four days); Group 4 (noise exposure+curcuminoid dose 200 mg/day for four days); Group 5 (curcuminoid dose of 100 mg/day for 14 days followed by two days of noise exposure); Group 6 (curcuminoid dose 200 mg/day for 14 days followed by two days of noise exposure).

RESULTS

Following noise exposure in rats, there was an effect/correlation between NRF2 expression, the SNR values obtained from DPOAE and curcuminoid administration.

CONCLUSION

There was a correlation between curcuminoid administration, NRF2 expression and DPOAE treatment. Following noise exposure in rats (Rattus norvegicus), SNR values obtained from DPOAE showed improved cochlear function.

The Effect of Curcumin on the Prevention of Myringosclerosis in Rats

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the preventative effect of oral curcumin (CMN) on myringosclerosis (MS) in an experimental rat model.

METHODS

The study included 21 female Wistar albino rats randomly separated into three groups. Group 1 was given no treatment (control group). In Group 2 and Group 3, the tympanic membrane (TM) was perforated using a sterile ear pick. The rats in Group 3 were administered oral CMN 200 mg/kg/day. All rats were sacrificed after 16 days. Otomicroscopic and histopathologic examinations were performed on the tympanic membranes.

RESULTS

Histopathologic examinations revealed that there were statistically significant differences between Group 2 and Group 3 in terms of MS degrees (p<0.001) and mean thicknesses of TMs (p<0.001), but there were no differences between Group 1 and Group 3. In respect of MS detected by otomicroscopy, a statistically significant difference was determined between Groups 1 and 2 (p<0.001) and between Groups 2 and 3 (p<0.01), but there was no significant difference between Group 1 and Group 3 (p=0.575).

CONCLUSION

Orally administered CMN can prevent myringosclerosis formation in experimentally induced myringotomies.

Protective Effect of Carvacrol against Paclitaxel-Induced Ototoxicity in Rat Model

Objective

This study aimed to explore whether carvacrol (CV) had a protective effect on paclitaxel-induced ototoxicity from biochemical, functional, and histopathological perspectives.

Methods

Forty Wistar albino male rats were randomly separated into five groups of eight rats. Group 1 was the control group, so Paclitaxel or CV was not administered. Group 2 was administered i.p. CV at 25 mg/kg once a week; Group 3, was administered i.p. paclitaxel at 5 mg/kg once a week; Group 4 was administered i.p. paclitaxel at 5 mg/kg followed (30 min later) by CV at 25 mg/kg once a week; and Group 5 was administered i.p. CV at 25 mg/kg followed (1 day later) by paclitaxel at 5 mg/kg. once a week. The drugs were administered intraperitoneally once a week for four consecutive weeks, and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) tests were performed at the beginning of the study before the first drug administration and at the end of the study after the last drug administration. All rats were sacrificed, and cochleae were removed for biochemical and histopathological analysis.

Results

Biochemical data indicated that paclitaxel caused oxidative stress in the cochlea. Histopathological findings revealed the loss of outer hair cells in the organ of Corti (CO) and moderate degenerative changes in the stria vascularis (SV). It was observed that DPOAE measurements were significantly reduced at high frequencies. In groups which CV was administered together with paclitaxel, these biochemical, histopathological, and functional changes were favorably reversed.

Conclusion

CV may have a protective effect against paclitaxel-induced ototoxicity when given.

Curcumin in cancer therapy: A novel adjunct for combination chemotherapy with paclitaxel and alleviation of its adverse effects

Dealing with cancer is of importance due to enhanced incidence rate of this life-threatening disorder. Chemotherapy is an ideal candidate in overcoming and eradication of cancer. To date, various chemotherapeutic agents have been applied in cancer therapy and paclitaxel (PTX) is one of them. PTX is a key member of taxane family with potential anti-tumor activity against different cancers. Notably, PTX has demonstrated excellent proficiency in elimination of cancer in clinical trials. This chemotherapeutic agent is isolated from Taxus brevifolia, and is a tricyclic diterpenoid. However, resistance of cancer cells into PTX chemotherapy has endangered its efficacy. Besides, administration of PTX is associated with a number of side effects such as neurotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, cardiotoxicity and so on, demanding novel strategies in obviating PTX issues. Curcumin is a pharmacological compound with diverse therapeutic effects including anti-tumor, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and so on. In the current review, we demonstrate that curcumin, a naturally occurring nutraceutical compound is able to enhance anti-tumor activity of PTX against different cancers. Besides, curcumin administration reduces adverse effects of PTX due to its excellent pharmacological activities. These topics are discussed with an emphasis on molecular pathways to provide direction for further studies in revealing other signaling networks.

Traditional oriental medicine for sensorineural hearing loss: Can ethnopharmacology contribute to potential drug discovery?

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

In Traditional Oriental Medicine (TOM), the development of hearing pathologies is related to an inadequate nourishment of the ears by the kidney and other organs involved in regulation of bodily fluids and nutrients. Several herbal species have historically been prescribed for promoting the production of bodily fluids or as antiaging agents to treat deficiencies in hearing.

AIM OF REVIEW

The prevalence of hearing loss has been increasing in the last decade and is projected to grow considerably in the coming years. Recently, several herbal-derived products prescribed in TOM have demonstrated a therapeutic potential for acquired sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus. Therefore, the aims of this review are to provide a comprehensive overview of the current known efficacy of the herbs used in TOM for preventing different forms of acquired sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus, and associate the traditional principle with the demonstrated pharmacological mechanisms to establish a solid foundation for directing future research.

METHODS

The present review collected the literature related to herbs used in TOM or related compounds on hearing from Chinese, Korean, and Japanese herbal classics; library catalogs; and scientific databases (PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar; and Science Direct).

RESULTS

This review shows that approximately 25 herbal species and 40 active compounds prescribed in TOM for hearing loss and tinnitus have shown in vitro or in vivo beneficial effects for acquired sensorineural hearing loss produced by noise, aging, ototoxic drugs or diabetes. The inner ear is highly vulnerable to ischemia and oxidative damage, where several TOM agents have revealed a direct effect on the auditory system by normalizing the blood supply to the cochlea and increasing the antioxidant defense in sensory hair cells. These strategies have shown a positive impact on maintaining the inner ear potential, sustaining the production of endolymph, reducing the accumulation of toxic and inflammatory substances, preventing sensory cell death and preserving sensory transmission. There are still several herbal species with demonstrated therapeutic efficacy whose mechanisms have not been deeply studied and others that have been traditionally used in hearing loss but have not been tested experimentally. In clinical studies, Ginkgo biloba, Panax ginseng, and Astragalus propinquus have demonstrated to improve hearing thresholds in patients with sensorineural hearing loss and alleviated the symptoms of tinnitus. However, some of these clinical studies have been limited by small sample sizes, lack of an adequate control group or contradictory results.

CONCLUSIONS

Current therapeutic strategies have proven that the goal of the traditional oriental medicine principle of increasing bodily fluids is a relevant approach for reducing the development of hearing loss by improving microcirculation in the blood-labyrinth barrier and increasing cochlear blood flow. The potential benefits of TOM agents expand to a multi-target approach on different auditory structures of the inner ear related to increased cochlear blood flow, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and neuroprotective activities. However, more research is required, given the evidence is very limited in terms of the mechanism of action at the preclinical in vivo level and the scarce number of clinical studies published.

Curcumin protects against acoustic trauma in the rat cochlea

OBJECTIVES

In this study we evaluated the therapeutic utility of curcumin in a rodent model of acoustic trauma using histopathology, immunohistochemical, and distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAEs) measurements.

METHODS

28 Wistar albino rats were included in the study and randomly assigned to 4 treatment groups. The first group (group 1) served as the control and was exposed to acoustic trauma alone. Group 2 was the curcumin group. Group 3 was the curcumin plus acoustic trauma group. Group 4 was the saline plus acoustic trauma group. Otoacoustic emission measurements were collected at the end of the experiment and all animals were sacrificed. Cochlea were collected and prepared for TUNEL (TdT-mediated deoxyuridinetriphosphate nick end-labelling) staining assay.

RESULTS

Group 3 maintained baseline DPOAEs values at 3000 Hz, 4000 Hz and 8000 Hz on the 3rd and 5th day of the experiment. DPOAEs results were correlated with the immunohistochemical and histopathological findings in all groups. In comparison to the histopathologic control group, Group 1 exhibited a statistically significant increase in apoptotic indices in the organ of Corti, inner hair cell, and outer hair cell areas (p < 0.05). Relative to the control group, rats in Group 3 showed little increase in inner hair cell and outer hair cell apoptotic indices.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results support the conclusion that curcumin may protect the cochlear tissues from acoustic trauma in rats. Curcumin injection prior to or after an acoustic trauma reduces cochlear hair cell damage and may protect against hearing loss.

Curcumin attenuates hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in neonatal rats through induction of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 and heme oxygenase-1

Curcumin has previously demonstrated anti-inflammatory, anti-infective and immuno-suppressive effects. In the present study, whether the attenuating effects of curcumin against hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in neonatal rats are mediated via nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) was investigated. A model of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury was created using 1-week-old Sprague Dawley rats (weight, 52±1 g). The model rats were treated with 150 mg/kg curcumin by gavage for 3 days. Malondialdehyde levels, and superoxide dismutase and caspase-3 activities were assayed using commercial kits and western blot analysis was used to measure inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), Nrf2 and HO-1 expression levels. Treatment with curcumin effectively reduced the brain injury score, increased myelin basic protein (MBP) expression and increased the quantity of neuronal cells in neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. Furthermore, treatment with curcumin significantly attenuated the changes in SOD activity and MDA levels and suppressed the iNOS protein expression induced in neonatal rats by hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. Treatment with curcumin significantly increased Nrf2 and HO-1 expression in the neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. The present study indicated that curcumin attenuates hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in neonatal rats through the induction of Nrf2 and HO-1.

Curcumin Reduces the Noise-Exposed Cochlear Fibroblasts Apoptosis

Introduction The structural changes underlying permanent noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) include loss of the sensory hair cells, damage to their stereocilia, and supporting tissues within the cochlear lateral wall.

Objective The objective of this study is to demonstrate curcumin as a safe and effective therapeutic agent in the prevention and treatment for fibroblasts damage within the cochlear supporting tissues and lateral wall through cell death pathway.

Methods We divided 24 Rattus norvegicus into 4 groups, Group 1: control; Group 2: noise (+); Group 3: noise (+), 50 mg/day curcumin (+); Group 4: noise (+), 100 mg/day curcumin (+). We provided the noise exposure dose at 100 dB SPL for two hours over two weeks and administered the curcumin orally over two weeks. We examined all samples for the expressions of calcineurin, nuclear factor of activated T-cells cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1), and apoptotic index of cochlear fibroblasts.

Results We found significant differences for the expressions of calcineurin (p < 0.05) in all groups, significant differences for the expressions of NFATc1 (p < 0.05) in all groups, except in Groups 1 and 4, and significant differences for the apoptotic index (p < 0.05) in all groups.

Conclusion Curcumin proved to be potentially effective in the prevention and treatment for fibroblasts damage within the cochlear supporting tissues and lateral wall regarding the decreased expression of calcineurin, NFATc1, and apoptotic index of cochlear fibroblasts.

Glutathione-degradable drug-loaded nanogel effectively and securely suppresses hepatoma in mouse model

The reduction-responsive polymeric nanocarriers have attracted considerable interest because of a significantly higher concentration of intracellular glutathione in comparison with that outside cells. The smart nanovehicles can selectively transport the antitumor drugs into cells to improve efficacies and decrease side effects. In this work, a facilely prepared glutathione-degradable nanogel was employed for targeting intracellular delivery of an antitumor drug (ie, doxorubicin [DOX]). DOX was loaded into nanogel through a sequential dispersion and dialysis approach with a drug loading efficiency of 56.8 wt%, and the laden nanogel (noted as NG/DOX) showed an appropriate hydrodynamic radius of 56.1±3.5 nm. NG/DOX exhibited enhanced or improved maximum tolerated dose on healthy Kunming mice and enhanced intratumoral accumulation and dose-dependent antitumor efficacy toward H22 hepatoma-xenografted mouse model compared with free drug. In addition, the upregulated antitumor efficacy of NG/DOX was further confirmed by the histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses. Furthermore, the excellent in vivo security of NG/DOX was confirmed by the detection of body weight, histopathology, and biochemical indices of corresponding organs and serum. With controllable large-scale preparation and fascinating in vitro and in vivo properties, the reduction-responsive nanogel exhibited a good prospect for clinical chemotherapy.