EFFECT OF BETAMETHASONE ADMINISTRATION ON SKELETAL MUSCLES OF PREGNANT RATS AND THE AMELIORATIVE ROLE OF CURCUMIN

Gamal M. Badawy*, Hend T. El- Borm, Saber A. Sakr

ABSTRACT

Using the skeletal muscle as a target organ, the present study involved two integrated aspects. The first aspect has dealt with investigating the possible toxic side effects of maternal exposure to one of the glucocorticoids, namely, betamethasone for ten days i.e. from the 6th to the 15th day of gestation in female Wister rats. However, the second aspect examined the possible ameliorative role of curcumin against the toxicity induced by betamethasone administration. Three integrated approaches i.e. histological, histo-morphometric, and molecular were utilized. The drug group exhibited evident histological changes compared with the control group in the form of wide splitting of the skeletal muscle fibers in association with fibrillolysis and nuclear internalization. Furthermore, muscle fibers showed irregular variation in size with rounding of some of them. At the molecular level, SDS-PAGE for protein in the muscles exhibited a marked lose in most protein bands as compared with the control group. Administration of curcumin after betamethasone caused an evident amelioration at the three utilized approaches.

Keywords: Betamethasone; Skeletal muscle; Curcumin; Pregnancy; Histology, Histo-morphometric; Molecular; toxicity.