Protective Effects of Curcumin against Gamma-Radiation on Rats

Introduction: Radiation therapy is a stage of therapeutic in the management of tumors that
causes normal cells damage. So, Radioprotective drugs are injected before radiotherapy to
reduce cell damages and death against ionizing radiation. Curcumin is an antioxidant
compound. The aim of this study is to investigate the possible protective effect of curcumin
against Gamma-Radiation in male rats.
Methods: 70 adult male wistar rats randomly divided into 10 groups including: control, sham,
Experimental 1 (treatment with maximum of curcumin in amount of 100 mg/ml), Experimental
2 (treatment with medium of curcumin in amount of 50 mg/ml), Experimental 3 (treatment with
minimum of curcumin in amount of 25 mg/ml), Experimental 4 (treatment with curcumin in
amount of maximum+radiation), Experimental 5 (treatment with curcumin in amount of
medium+radiation), Experimental 6 (treatment with curcumin in amount of
minimum+radiation), Experimental 7 (solvent+radiation), Experimental 8 (exposure to
irradiation). All animals recived intraperitoneal injection. The testes were fixed and section
stained with Haematoxyline & Eosin for 15 days. Using a microscope equipped with a scaled
ocular micrometer and image analysis software, histomorphometry was performed.
Results: Gamma-radiation with dose of 2 Gy caused severe degeneration changes in
testicular tissue including significant decrease of epithelium thickness and the number of
spermtogonia, spermatid and spermatozoa and significantly increased the proportion of lumen
diameter to seminiferous tubule diameter and primary spermatocyte compare with control
group (P<0.05). So, treatment with curcumin balances adverse effects of Gamma-radiation on
testis structure and leads spermatogenesis to normal state.
Conclusion: These results suggest that curcumin have antioxidant properties and protects
testis structure against Gamma-radiation.