title: Curcumin enhances Vinorelbine mediated apoptosis in NSCLC cells by the mitochondrial pathway.
abstract: Elderly lung cancer patients and those with poor performance status/co-morbid conditions are deprived of chemotherapy because of high toxicity of multidrug regimens. Human squamous cell lung carcinoma H520 cells treated with Curcumin were sensitized to the cytotoxicity caused by chemotherapeutic agent, Vinorelbine. Both caused apoptosis by increasing the protein expression of Bax and Bcl-xs while decreasing Bcl-2 and Bcl-X(L), releasing apoptogenic cytochrome c, and augmenting the activity of caspase-9 and caspase-3. Expression of Cox-2, NF-kappaB, and AP-1 was also affected. 23.7% apoptosis was induced in the H520 cells by treatment with Curcumin while Vinorelbine caused 38% apoptosis. Pre-treatment with Curcumin enhanced the Vinorelbine induced apoptosis to 61.3%. The findings suggest that Curcumin has the potential to act as an adjuvant chemotherapeutic agent and enhance chemotherapeutic efficacy of Vinorelbine in H520 cells in vitro. Thus, Curcumin offers the prospect of being beneficial in the above-mentioned patient groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Sudip
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sen
authors.forename: Himani
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Neeta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D053148:Caspase 3; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004357:Drug Synergism; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000077235:Vinorelbine
chemical_list: D016328:NF-kappa B; D018808:Transcription Factor AP-1; D014747:Vinblastine; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; C506433:CASP9 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D053453:Caspase 9; D020169:Caspases; D003474:Curcumin; D000077235:Vinorelbine