Curcumin modulated gut microbiota and alleviated renal fibrosis in 5/6 nephrectomy-induced chronic kidney disease rats

作者：Li Cheng, Xulong Chen, Jingchun Yao, Weiwei Zha, Meiren Li, Jiangwen Shen, Hongli Jiang, Puxun Tian · 发表于：PLoS ONE · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1371/journal.pone.0314029 · 被引用次数：15 · 研究领域：Gut microbiota and health、Pancreatitis Pathology and Treatment、Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research

Increasing evidence suggests that dysbiosis of gut microbiota exacerbates chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression. Curcumin (CUR) has been reported to alleviate renal fibrosis in animal models of CKD. However, the relationship between CUR and gut microbiome in CKD remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the potential anti-renal fibrosis effects of CUR from the gut microbiota perspective. A 5/6 nephrectomy (5/6Nx) rat model was used to explore the therapeutic effect of CUR on renal fibrosis. Tight junction protein expression levels were measured to assess intestinal barrier function. 16S rRNA sequencing was employed to evaluate changes in gut microbiota composition, and metabolomics was utilized to detect alterations in plasma metabolites. The administration of CUR significantly ameliorated renal fibrosis and inhibited inflammation in 5/6Nx rats. Additionally, CUR markedly improved the expression of tight junction proteins and local colon inflammation. CUR also positively reconstructed gut microbiota, significantly increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria, such as Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, Eubacterium_siraeum_group, and Muribaculaceae was significantly increased. Metabolomics revealed that CUR reduced uremic retention solutes and elevated Vitamin D and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Spearman correlation analysis indicated that gut genera enriched by CUR were positively correlated with Vitamin D and SCFA and negatively correlated with chronic renal injury...