Abstract

This study is aimed at exploring whether curcumin can regulate the AKT pathway, promote the transfer of Nrf2 into the nucleus, and inhibit cell pyroptosis in diabetic cardiomyopathy. Diabetic rats and cardiomyocytes were treated with curcumin to study its effect on myocardial pyroptosis. Whether curcumin can promote the transfer of Nrf2 into the nucleus through AKT pathway regulation was assessed by western blotting and immunofluorescence. The Nrf2 knockout vector and ml385 were used to block the Nrf2 pathway, and the differences between the different groups in the expression of pyroptosis protein, cell activity, and incidence of apoptosis were evaluated to verify the relationship between the effect of curcumin on pyroptosis inhibition and the Nrf2 pathway. Curcumin promoted the transfer of Nrf2 into the nucleus through the AKT pathway and increased the expression of the antioxidant factors HO-1 and GCLC. These effects reduced reactive oxygen species accumulation and mitochondrial damage in diabetic myocardium and inhibited diabetes-induced pyroptosis. However, in cardiomyocytes with a blocked Nrf2 pathway, the ability of curcumin to inhibit pyroptosis was significantly reduced, and the protective effect on the cells was lost. Curcumin can reduce the accumulation of superoxide in the myocardium through AKT/Nrf2/ARE pathway activation and inhibit pyroptosis. It also has a role in diabetic cardiomyopathy treatment. This study provides new directions for evaluating the mechanism of diabetic cardiomyopathy and treating diabetic myocardium.