The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of
curcumin on
acute renal injury in a rat model of severe
acute pancreatitis (SAP). A SAP model with
acute kidney injury was established in rats by retrograde injection of 5%
sodium taurocholate into the pancreatic duct. The serum
amylase,
creatinine (Cr) and blood
urea nitrogen (BUN) levels in rats were measured.
Hematoxylin and
eosin staining was used to assess pancreatic and renal histological changes. Serum
tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and
interleukin (IL)-6 levels were measured using ELISA kits. Renal
protein levels of
Janus kinase (JAK) 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3 pathway components were determined by western blot assay. The results showed that
curcumin significantly decreased serum
amylase, Cr and BUN levels, and alleviated pancreatic and renal histological changes in SAP rats. Furthermore,
curcumin markedly decreased serum TNF-α and
IL-6 levels and downregulated renal
protein levels of JAK2/STAT3 pathway components. These results proved that
curcumin ameliorates
acute renal injury in a rat model of SAP. The molecular mechanism of its effect may be associated with the suppression of the JAK2/STAT3 pathway to reduce TNF-α and
IL-6 levels in SAP-induced
acute renal injury. Therefore, the findings of the present study revealed the potential use of
curcumin for the prevention and treatment of SAP and the associated renal injury.