Curcumin reverses the hypertension-induced left ventricular concentric remodeling in rats

Curcumin reverses the hypertension-induced left ventricular concentric remodeling in rats

Tatsuya Morimoto, Yoichi Sunagawa, Tomohide Takaya, Toru Kita, Akira Shimatsu, Masatoshi Fujita, Koji Hasegawa.

Division of Translational Research, National Hospital Organization Kyoto Medical Center, Kyoto, Japan.

The 25th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Heart Research Japanese Section (Yokohama, Japan), 2008/12/05 (Poster).

Abstract

Background: Curcumin is a natural compound, a major curcumanoid isolated from Curcuma longa. We have found that curcumin inhibits an intrinsic histone acetyltransferase, p300-induced acetylation of histones and GATA-4, and represses hypertrophic responses in primary cardiac myocytes from neonatal rats in culture. Moreover, we have shown that curcumin prevents the transition from compensated hypertrophy to heart failure in a salt-sensitive Dahl (DS) rat model of hypertension. At earlier stages of this model, hypertension causes left ventricular (LV) concentric remodeling and hypertrophy with preserved systolic function.

Objective: To determine whether curcumin can prevent the development of LV concentric remodeling and hypertrophy in a DS rat model of hypertension.

Methods: Under a high-salt diet started at the age of 6 weeks, DS rats exhibit LV remodeling and hypertrophy with preserved systolic function at the age of 11 weeks. We randomized 6-week-old DS rats (n = 20) to the curcumin group (Cur, oral daily treatment with 50 ug/kg/day of curcumin) or the vehicle group (Veh).

Results: There were no differences between Cur and Veh in all data examined before treatment (6 weeks of age). High salt diet induced similar extent of hypertension in these two groups. After treatment (11 weeks of age), transthoracic echocardiography demonstrated that LV wall thickness was significantly decreased in Cur compared with Veh. LV systolic and diastolic dimensions were slightly larger in Cur than Veh. However, LV ejection fraction and LV mass was similar between the two groups.

Conclusions: A natural compound curcumin reserves the hypertension-induced LV concentric remodeling. Thus, this compound might be applicable to patients with early stages of hypertensive heart disease as well as those with heart failure.

Keywords: concentric remodeling, histone acetyltransferase, curcumin.