Cardioprotective Effects of Curcumin Co-treatment in Rats With Establishing Chronic Variable Stress Stereology Study

Prolonged and recurrent exposure to chronic variable stress (CVS) may lead to cardiovascular dysfunction. It is a basic cause of heart failure. The aim of current study was to determine the effect of curcumin (CUR) on the treatment of cardiac dysfunction in rats with established CVS. Thirty-five adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups as control, CVS, CVS+CUR (100 mg/kg/d dissolved in 0.5 mL of distilled water). All of the control animals and half of the animals in CVS and CVS+CUR groups were sacrificed after 15 days and the rest of animals were allowed to recover for 50 days. The relaxin (RLX), cortisol, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), oxytocin serum levels, and heart stereological structure were evaluated. Significant deviations from the normal range occurred in RLX, cortisol, ACTH, and oxytocin serum levels in CVS and CVS + recovery groups compared to the control rats (P < 0.01). Furthermore, weight and heart weight, volume of the hearts and ventricles, total number of the nuclei reduced, and also volume of the connective tissue and diameter of the total vessels increased in the CVS animals in comparison to the control ones (P < 0.01). These parameters changed to a lesser extent in CVS+CUR animals compared to the CVS rats with or without a recovery period (P < 0.01). Findings of this study suggested that CUR might have a therapeutic potential for heart structure and function following the established CVS by regulation of stress and cardiovascular-related hormones and outcomes related to the change of this hormone.