Evaluation of the protective effect of curcumin on liver tissue in NMRI mice treated with sodium arsenite

Arsenic (As) compounds are environmental toxicants which are among human carcinogens. Sodium arsenite exposure leads to its accumulation in the liver resulting in liver disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of curcumin, as an antioxidant, on the liver tissue in the mice exposed to sodium arsenite.
Material and Thirty NMRI mice with mean body weight of 31±2 g. were randomly divided into 5 groups: control, scheme (receiving DMSO),curcumin (15mg/kg/day), sodium arsenite (5mg/kg/day) and sodium arsenite狪�梧 groups. Every group consisted of 6 mice. The exposure was by intraperitoneal injections and carried out for 5 weeks. Then the mice were killed and the liver tissue was removed and weighed. Histopathological and stereological analyses were performed and the incidence of hepatocyte cells apoptosis (by the TUNEL method) was determined. Data were analyzed using one way ANOVA, and the differences among mean values were considered significant at P A significant increase in the mean relative weight of liver, total volume of sinusoids, bile ductules (p Treatment with curcumin reduced liver damage induced by sodium arsenite.