Curcumin ameliorates dichlorvos-induced cardiac injury by suppressing oxidative stress and downregulating pro-inflammatory cytokines in male Wistar rats

Background: Dichlorvos is an organophosphate pesticide that is useful in the control of pests and insects, however, it also induces toxicity in non-target cells via the initiation of inflammation and oxidative stress. Meanwhile, curcumin has been reported to exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Nevertheless, there is an inadequate understanding of the beneficial potential of curcumin in dichlorvos-induced cardiotoxicity. Aim: This study investigated the cardio-protective effects of curcumin in dichlorvos-induced cardiotoxicity. Materials and methods: Forty male Wistar rats were randomly allotted into four groups; the control (1 mL of olive oil), curcumin-treated (100 mg/kg), DDVP-treated (98.54 g/m3 of dichlorvos by inhalation), and DDVP + Curcumin-treated. Results: It was observed that dichlorvos exposure led to cardiac histopathological damage such as focal vascular congestion, widened interstitial space between the cardiac myofibrils, and reduced thickness of the myofibrils. The results of the cardiac function test revealed a decrease in lactate dehydrogenase and a rise in creatinine kinase and troponin-I. These alterations were associated with elevated levels of plasma cholesterol and triglycerides, cardiac malondialdehyde (MDA), TNF-α, IL-1β, and C-reactive protein (CRP), and reduced superoxide dismutase activity. Meanwhile, curcumin treatment in dichlorvos-exposed rats restored cardiac histoarchitecture and lipid profile and attenuated DDVP-induced rise in cardiac MDA, TNF-α, IL-1β, and CRP, and DDVP-induced decline in cardiac superoxide dismutase activity. Conclusion: Summarily, this study confirmed the cardiotoxicity of dichlorvos, and further demonstrated the protective effect of curcumin against dichlorvos-induced cardiotoxicity by suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress.