Date of Award
5-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Biomedical Engineering and Sciences
First Advisor
Kenia Pedrosa Nunes
Second Advisor
Pavithra Pathirathna
Third Advisor
Melissa Borgen
Fourth Advisor
Linxia Gu
Abstract
T1D is strongly associated with vascular damage and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Curcumin, an active ingredient from turmeric rhizomes, has various pharmacological properties, including the modulation of heat shock protein 70. HSP70 is a molecular chaperone found both extracellularly (eHSP70) and intracellularly (iHSP70). Although HSP70 was shown to be required for proper vascular functioning, the impact of curcumin on the vasculature remains unclear. In this study, I hypothesize that curcumin treatment alters the eHSP70/iHSP70 ratio and prevents vascular hypercontractility observed in T1D. To induce T1D, male Sprague Dawley rats (8 weeks) were injected with a single dose of Streptozotocin (STZ, 65 mg/kg i.p. diluted in citrate buffer, pH 4.5. Then, animals were treated with curcumin (300mg/kg/day, orally) mixed with sugar-free peanut butter for 28 days. Systemic and tissue (aorta) levels of HSP70 were determined using Western blotting to assess the eHSP70/iHSP70 ratio. Vascular responses to alpha-adrenergic stimulation with Phenylephrine (PE) were evaluated in aortic rings by performing a concentration-response curve to PE (10-5 to 10-9M) and a single dose to PE (10-5M, 15 minutes) to evaluate the components of the biphasic contraction curve. My results showed that: 1) eHSP70/iHSP70 ratio in STZ+Curcumin was reduced compared to STZ; 2) STZ+Curcumin showed decreased vascular contraction compared to STZ group; 3) treatment with curcumin attenuates both phasic and tonic phases of the contraction curve. In conclusion, chronic treatment with curcumin prevents aortic vascular hypercontractility and affects the HSP70 ratio towards a less inflammatory profile, contributing to improved vascular health in T1D.
Recommended Citation
Grimm, Anna Katharine, "Chronic Treatment with Curcumin Modulates the HSP70 Ratio and Prevents Vascular Hypercontractility in the Aorta of Type 1 Diabetic Rats" (2025). Theses and Dissertations. 1590.
https://repository.fit.edu/etd/1590