Possible potentials of curcumin for pregnancies complicated by intra-uterine growth restriction: role of inflammation, angiogenesis, and oxidative stress

Abstract

Objectives So far, various etiologies have been stated for Intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR) with a wide variety of pathways involved in their pathogenesis. Among these pathways, impaired angiogenesis, inflammation, and oxidative stress are among the most important ones. Curcumin has raised notable attention due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity in different in-vitro studies and clinical trials. The present study aimed to investigate the possible potentials of Curcumin for pregnancies complicated by IUGR through different physiological mechanisms. Methods A narrative review study was conducted (Iran; 2020). The implemented Mesh-based keywords were “Curcumin” OR “Turmeric” AND “Therapeutic effect” AND “Side effect” OR “Adverse effect” OR “Teratogenic effect” OR “Teratogenicity” AND “Pregnancy” AND “Intra-uterine growth restriction” OR “Intra-uterine growth retardation” AND “Inflammation” AND “Oxidative stress” AND “Angiogenesis”. Cochrane Library, PubMed, Up to date, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases were used as academic search engines. Results Reviewing the included studies showed the dual effects of curcumin on angiogenesis depend on the type of angiogenesis: physiological or pathological. Interestingly, the present study evaluated the current knowledge on the effects of curcumin on IUGR demonstrating acceptable potentials. Also, we tried to gather studies that had evaluated the safety of curcumin during pregnancy. Conclusion Gathering all the data, it seems curcumin could be an acceptable candidate for future animal and human studies on IUGR.

The significance of Systemic Immune Inflammation Index (SII) and Systemic Inflammation Response Index (SIRI) in fetuses with fetal growth restriction

“…Many etiological factors have been identified in the pathogenesis of FGR, encompassing various pathways (5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18). Among the most significant are inflammation, inadequate angiogenesis, and oxidative stress.…”

“…Numerous inflammatory and proinflammatory markers, including monocytes, neutrophils, MPO, IL6, IL1, IL10, have been studied in FGR. In addition to elevated leukocyte and monocyte levels, neutrophil/monocyte-derived substances have been found to be increased in FGR (16)(17)(18).…”

“…Changes occur in the inflammatory and infectious balance, especially in the activity of T cells, with the goal of maintaining the fetomaternal relationship in balance. However, if excessive aggregation in the placenta and intervillous space is triggered by various mechanisms during this activation, diseases such as preeclampsia and FGR may result, which are referred to as chronic inflammatory placental diseases (13)(14)(15)(16).…”

“…Many inflammatory and anti-inflammatory markers have been studied in maternal circulation and cord blood in cases diagnosed with FGR (8)(9)(10)15,16,17,18). Cytokines such as interleukin 1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interferon-γ (INF-γ), IL-8, IL-10, as well as neutrophils, white blood cells, myeloperoxidase, and many molecules such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and neutrophil/monocyte-derived substances were the main subjects of these studies (8)(9)(10)16,17,18). However, the results regarding the relationship between inflammation and FGR in the literature are contradictory and inconclusive.…”

Curcumin and Intestinal Oxidative Stress of Pigs With Intrauterine Growth Retardation: A Review

“…Curcumin is a polyphenol, characterized by the inclusion of two aromatic rings, and its phenolic hydrogens are responsible for its ability to react with reactive species and are believed to impart antioxidant activity to the molecule (88). So far, data from in vivo and in vitro studies have shown the antioxidant activity of curcumin in different pathological conditions through different pathways (89,90). The antioxidant activity of curcumin mainly from two aspects: one is curcumin as a free radical scavenger (91,92); and the other is curcumin as inducers of antioxidant signaling pathways in cells, by enhancing the activity of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and phase II metabolizing enzymes, heme oxygenase (HO-1) and quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) (33,67,93,94).…”