Renoprotective effects of curcumin in cats with chronic kidney disease.

Oral curcumin (80 mg/day) significantly reduced SDMA and improved oxidative and inflammatory biomarkers in cats with IRIS stage 3 CKD.

This prospective, randomized clinical trial evaluated the renoprotective effects of oral curcumin supplementation (80 mg/cat/day in two divided doses) as an adjunct to standard medical therapy in 16 client-owned cats with IRIS stage 3 chronic kidney disease (CKD). Cats were allocated to medical treatment alone (MT; n=8) or medical treatment plus curcumin (MT+C; n=8) for 60 days. The primary outcome measure, serum symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA), was significantly lower in the curcumin group at days 30, 45, and 60 (P<.01), suggesting improved glomerular filtration. Urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio also declined over time in curcumin-treated cats and was lower than controls at later time points, indicating reduced proteinuria. Oxidative stress markers demonstrated favorable modulation: total antioxidant status increased and total oxidant status decreased in the MT+C group, with a significant between-group difference in total oxidant status at day 45. Additionally, nuclear factor kappa B and caspase-3 levels were consistent with attenuated inflammatory and apoptotic activity in curcumin-treated cats. No safety concerns were reported. Limitations include the small sample size, single IRIS stage enrollment, and short study duration. These preliminary findings suggest curcumin supplementation may offer a clinically meaningful adjunctive benefit in feline CKD management by targeting oxidative, inflammatory, and apoptotic pathways, warranting further investigation in larger, multi-stage trials.

This summary was distilled by AI and may occasionally misinterpret data. Confirm critical details with the primary literature before clinical application.