Interference with AGEs formation and AGEs-induced vascular injury mediates curcumin vascular protection in metabolic syndrome

Vascular dysfunction predisposes to cardiovascular complications of metabolic syndrome (MetS). The current study investigated the mechanism(s) of curcumin’s (CUR) protective effect against vascular reactivity irregularities in MetS. MetS was induced by feeding rats on high fructose high salt diet. Tension studies were undertaken in aortic rings to assess the influence of CUR on vasoconstrictor or vasorelaxant responses. The effect on advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) was studied by incubating aortic tissues with methylglyoxal, the AGEs precursor, in the absence and presence of CUR. In addition, CUR effects on in-vitro generation of AGEs and diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals were studied. The incubation with CUR for 1 hr produced significant and concentration-dependent alleviation of the exaggerated vasoconstriction observed in aortas isolated from MetS, however failed to improve the concomitant attenuation of vasodilatory responses to ACh in PE-precontracted aortas. By contrast, CUR caused direct concentration-dependent vasodilations of precontracted aortas, effects that were blunted after nitric oxide synthase inhibition by L-NAME. Similar to its effects in MetS aortas, CUR alleviated exaggerated PE vasoconstriction but did not affect impaired ACh vasodilations in AGEs-exposed aortas. In addition, CUR showed significant dose-dependent DPPH free radicals scavenging activity and inhibited both MG and fructose induced AGEs formation at the level of protein oxidation step as evident from the effect on dityrosine and N-formylkyramine. CUR alleviates exaggerated vasoconstriction in MetS through interfering with AGEs formation and AGEs-induced vascular injury. Free radical scavenging and direct vasodilatory activities could also participate in the advantageous vascular actions of CUR.