Biological impact of curcumin on the healing of tempromandibular joint in experimentally induced arthritis

Abstract

BackgroundThe term temporomandibular joint disorders covers a broad spectrum of clinical issues related to joints and muscles in the orofacial area. Curcumin is a major bioactive component of turmeric and can be used as an oral medication to treat a wide variety of ailments including pain, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer. This study intended to investigate the ameliorating effect of curcumin on tempromandibular joint experimentally induced arthritis. MethodsForty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups. Group 1 act as control negative, group 2, 3 and 4 were subjected to induction of arthritis by bilaterally local injection of 50 μL Freund’s complete adjuvant into TMJ. Group 2: rats were left untreated. Group 3: rats were daily treated with betamethasone (0.5 mg/ml/kg body weight) orally. Group 4: rats were daily treated with curcumin (200 mg/ml/kg body weight) orally. Histological preparation for H&E, immunohistochemistry stain for TGF-β and Interleukin-6 were measured in the sera of rats by enzyme linked immunosorbant assay using IL-6 ELISA kit. ResultsGroup I revealed normal TMJ features. Group II showed thickening of disc, thinning of cartilage, disordered bone trabeculae. Group III and IV showed nearly normal thickness of disc and condylar cartilage, nearly normal arrangement of bone trabeculae. ConclusionTreatment with curcumin showed reduction of inflammatory cell infiltration, repair of bone and cartilage erosion as well as the betamethasone treated group. Conclusionthe supplementation of curcumin has a promising protective effect on the degenerative changes in the experimental induced TMJ arthritis.