CURCUMIN AMELIORATES THE HAZARD EFFECT OF PRENATAL BETAMETHASONE ADMINISTRATION ON THE FETAL ADRENAL GLAND OF ALBINO RATS

*Gamal M. Badawy

ABSTRACT

The present study aimed to investigate the possible adverse effects of maternally injected betamethasone on the developing adrenal gland of the albino rat (Rattus norvegicus) fetuses. Another aim was to ameliorate these adverse effects using crude water extract of curcumin. The experimental pregnant rats were injected with betamethasone alone, curcumin alone, betamethasone followed by an oral injection of curcumin while the control ones were injected with distilled water. Injection started from gestation day (GD) 11 and ended at DG 16. For the sake of eliminating differences owing to the time factor, the experiments were terminated at the 20th day of pregnancy for all groups. The released fetuses were dissected and the adrenal glands were taken out for investigation. Three integrated approaches namely, histological, immuno-histochemical and ultrastructural were adopted. Betamethasone prenatally administration caused massive destructive changes within the two components of the adrenal gland i.e. the cortex with its three zones and the medulla at all the three adopted levels. The study provided clear evidences for the ameliorative role of curcumin against the hazard effect of the maternally administered betamethasone upon the developing adrenal gland.

Keywords: Curcumin, Betamethasone, Adrenal gland, Rat fetuses.