In the present study, we investigated whether curcumin administration would interfere with the main renal features of l-NAME-induced hypertension model. For this purpose, we conducted both in vitro and in vivo experiments to evaluate renal indicators of inflammation, oxidative stress, and metalloproteinases (MMPs) expression/activity. Hypertension was induced by l-NAME (70 mg/kg/day), and Wistar rats from both control and hypertensive groups were treated with curcumin (50 or 100 mg/kg/day; gavage) or vehicle for 14 days. Blood and kidneys were collected to determine serum creatinine levels, histological alterations, oxidative stress, MMPs expression and activity, and ED1 expression. l-NAME increased blood pressure, but both doses of curcumin treatment reduced these values. l-NAME treatment increased creatinine levels, glomeruli area, Bowman's space, kidney MMP-2 activity, as well as MMP-9 and ED1 expression, and reduced the number of glomeruli. Curcumin treatment prevented the increase in creatinine levels, MMP-2 activity, and reduced MMP-2, MMP-9, ED1, and superoxide levels, as well as increased superoxide dismutase activity and partially prevented glomeruli alterations. Moreover, curcumin directly inhibited MMP-2 activity in vitro. Thus, our main findings demonstrate that curcumin reduced l-NAME-induced hypertension and renal glomerular alterations, inhibited MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression/activity, and reduced oxidative stress and inflammatory processes, which may indirectly impact hypertension-induced renal outcomes.
Keywords: kidney damage; l‐NAME induced hypertension; matrix metalloproteinases; oxidative stress.
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