Curcumin induces apoptosis in human breast cancer cells through p53-dependent Bax induction.
The aim of this study was to determine the mechanisms of curcumin-induced human breast cancer cell apoptosis. From quantitative image analysis data showing an increase in the percentage of cells with a sub-G0/G1 DNA content, we demonstrated curcumin-induced apoptosis in the breast cancer cell line MCF-7, in which expression of wild-type p53 could be induced. Apoptosis was accompanied by an increase in p53 level as well as its DNA-binding activity followed by Bax expression at the protein level. Further experiments using p53-null MDAH041 cell as well as low and high p53-expressing TR9-7 cell, in which p53 expression is under tight control of tetracycline, established that curcumin induced apoptosis in tumor cells via a p53-dependent pathway in which Bax is the downstream effector of p53. This property of curcumin suggests that this molecule could have a possible therapeutic potential in breast cancer patients.
Choudhuri
Tathagata
T
Animal Physiology Section, Bose Institute, P-1/12 CIT Scheme VII M, 700 054, Kolkata, India.
Pal
Suman
S
Agwarwal
Munna L
ML
Das
Tanya
T
Sa
Gaurisankar
G
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; C494826:BAX protein, human; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D003474:Curcumin