Effect of Curcumin Against the Transforming Growth Factor β1-Induced Myocardial Fibrosis and Mechanism

Abstract

This study investigates the mechanism of curcumin in myocardial fibrosis-mediated inhibition of myocardial fibrosis by observing the roles of curcumin in TGF-β1/smads pathway in mouse cardiac fibroblasts. The logarithmic stage cells with good growth status were selected from in vitro cultured mouse myocardial fibroblasts (CFs). Cells, at were categorized: control, vehicle control (1% DMSO), TGF-β1 (10 ng/ml) group, and low curcumin group (TGF-β1 + 1 ug/ml curcumin), medium curcumin (TGF-β1 + 3 ug/ml curcumin), and high curcumin group (TGF-β1 + 6 ug/ml curcumin). qRT-PCR was applied to calculated the mRNA level. The protein level was determined by western blot. The regulatory role of TGF-β1 in the expression of collagen I/III, Smad1, Smad2/3, Smad4, TGF-β1, and Smad7 was reversed by curcumin. Curcumin alleviates the cardiomyocytes fibrosis of mouse. The regulatory roles of curcumin in mouse cardiomyocytes and modulating TGF-β1/Smads pathways predicted its potential role in inhibiting pulmonary fibrosis and anti-fibrosis. This may provide a therapeutic strategy for myocardial fibrosis.