EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF CURCUMIN VERSUS METFORMIN IN EXPERIMENTALLY-INDUCED METABOLIC SYNDROME IN RATS

Metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) is the clustering of various interrelated risk factors of metabolic origin that increased incidence of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. In this study the effectiveness of curcumin was evaluated in comparison with metformin in fructose-induced MetSyn disease in rats. Fructose was fed (10% solution in drinking water) for 8 weeks during which groups of rats were administered once daily vehicle (2% carboxy methyl cellulose), curcumin (40 and 80 mg/kg), metformin (100 and 200 mg/kg), their combinations and compared with group received tap water instead of fructose. The results revealed that induction of MetSyn was associated with glucose intolerance, insulin resistance alongside with increased weights of body and visceral fats. This was accompanied with an elevation of arterial blood pressure. Meanwhile, it caused disturbances in lipid profile (triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL-C and LDL-C) and both oxidative stress (malondialdehyde, 8-iso-PGF2 α and superoxide dismutase) and inflammatory status (tumor necrosis factorα , interleukin-6, Creactive protein and adiponectin) parameters. Each of curcumin and metformin significantly prevents, to variable extents, the progression of most of these signs of MetSyn. Furthermore, the efficacy of each of the two drugs in question was significantly augmented upon their concurrent administration. These protective effects of the two drugs under investigation presumably may be relevant to their ability to reduce the oxidative stress and to ameliorate the inflammatory processes.