CADMIUM ACETATE INDUCED NEPHROTOXICITY AND PROTECTIVE ROLE OF CURCUMIN IN RATS

Abstract

Cadmium, found to be a toxic metal causes damage to organs such as kidney, lungs, bones, liver, brain and reproductive organ testes. But the most affected organ is kidney on cadmium exposure. In this study, cadmium toxicity and curcumin antioxidant activity against nephrotoxicity were analysed. Here twenty four rats were taken and divided into four groups,each group comprised of six animals each. The first group served as control group with a normal feed and water. The second group received cadmium acetate in distilled water(200 mg/kg of body weight) for 7 days. The third group received only curcumin, dissolved in glycerol (250 mg/kg of body weight) for the same experimental days. Finally, the fourth group is the pretreated group. Rats were treated with curcumin and cadmium acetate continuously for 7 days. At the end of experiment, animals were sacrificied and the blood sample, tissue samples analysed. The level of urea and creatinine in serum were found to be increased, the antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase, catalase were decreased in tissue sample. All these, confirmed the protective activity of curcumin on induced nephrotoxicity.