Renoprotective effects of curcumin in cats with chronic kidney disease

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) in cats is characterized by oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis. Curcumin has shown renoprotective effects in experimental models, but clinical evidence in cats with CKD remains limited. Hypothesis/Objectives: Evaluate whether PO curcumin supplementation (80 mg/cat/day), administered with standard treatment, favorably modulates renal, oxidative, inflammatory, and apoptotic biomarkers in cats with International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) stage 3 CKD. Animals: Sixteen client-owned cats with IRIS stage 3 CKD. Methods: Prospective, randomized trial. Cats were allocated to medical treatment alone (MT; n = 8) or medical treatment plus curcumin (MT + C; n = 8). Curcumin was administered PO at 80 mg/cat/day in 2 divided doses for 60 days. Results: Baseline renal biomarkers did not differ between groups. The primary outcome, serum symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) concentration, was significantly lower in the MT + C group than in the MT group on days 30, 45, and 60 (P < .01). Urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio decreased over time in the MT + C group and was lower than in the MT group at later time points. Total antioxidant status increased, whereas total oxidant status decreased in the MT + C group, with a significant between-group difference in total oxidant status on day 45. Findings for nuclear factor kappa B and caspase-3 were also consistent with decreased inflammatory and apoptotic activity in curcumin-treated cats. Conclusions and clinical importance: Curcumin supplementation was associated with improvement in SDMA and favorable changes in mechanistic biomarkers in cats with IRIS stage 3 CKD.