Indirect effect of a turmeric diet: enhanced bile duct proliferation in Syrian hamsters with a combination of partial obstruction by Opisthorchis viverrini infection and inflammation by N-nitrosodimethylamine administration.

The present study revealed the indirect effect of a turmeric (TUR) diet on the histopathological changes and proliferating cell nuclear antigen staining in Syrian hamsters with partial obstruction by liver fluke (Opisthorchis viverrini) infection and inflammation by N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) administration. The result of the analysis of histopathological changes shows that a TUR diet has an anti-inflammatory property in the case of a single condition of NDMA administration or O. viverrini infection, as has been reported previously. Unfortunately, an adverse indirect effect of TUR was observed in the combination of infection with O. viverrini and administration of NDMA, with a 30-50% increase in new bile duct formation, correlated with an increase in proliferating cell nuclear antigen. Our present result suggests that the properties of curcumin are anti-inflammation and antioxidant including enhancing biliary contraction and bile flow. Thus, a combination of factors (treated with O. viverrini, NDMA, and TUR diet) result in an increasing bile duct proliferation which may cause from biliary homeostasis.