Curcumin may Mitigate BEP-Induced Kidney Toxicity, reveals study
Researchers have found in a new study that curcumin offers renal protection against BEP chemotherapy-induced toxicity by reducing oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell death, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic option for managing BEP-related kidney complications.
Bleomycin, etoposide, and platinum (BEP) are among the most commonly used and effective anticancer medications in oncology clinics.
The study’s objective was to examine the efficacy of curcumin and curcumin-cyclodextrin (nanocurcumin) as protective agents against BEP nephrotoxicity. Renal toxicity was evaluated through various parameters, such as histopathology and serum urea and creatinine levels. In addition, the levels of Nitric Oxide (NO) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and the expression of the Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α) and caspase 3 genes were investigated.
These experiments were performed on Wistar rats, which were divided into six groups: control, BEP, curcumin, nanocurcumin, curcumin + BEP, and nanocurcumin + BEP. Results: The findings of the present study revealed that the administration of curcumin and nanocurcumin improved the blood urea and creatinine levels and improved kidney histology in rats treated with BEP. In addition, curcumin and nanocurcumin strengthened the antioxidant status in the kidney by increasing TAC and decreasing NO levels.
Therefore, alterations in the gene expression of TNF-α and caspase3 showed that curcumin could modulate and regulate the process of apoptosis and inflammation caused by BEP. These results showed that curcumin protects kidneys from BEP-induced toxicity by reducing oxidative stress, cell death, and inflammation, and it can be considered a possible option to improve renal complications caused by the BEP chemotherapy regimen.
Reference:
Bartani, Z., Nemati, H., Heshmati, S. et al. The protective effect of curcumin nanoparticles on renal damage caused by a combination of bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin. BMC Nephrol 26, 354 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12882-025-04286-x
