title: Curcumin suppresses growth and induces apoptosis in primary effusion lymphoma.
abstract: The mechanisms that regulate induction of the antiapoptotic state and mitogenic signals in primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) are not well known. In efforts to identify novel approaches to block the proliferation of PEL cells, we found that curcumin (diferuloylmethane), a natural compound isolated from the plant Curcuma Ionga, inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in a dose dependent manner in several PEL cell lines. Such effects of curcumin appear to result from suppression of the constitutively active STAT3 through inhibition of Janus kinase 1 (JAK1). Our data also demonstrate that curcumin induces loss of mitochondrial membrane potential with subsequent release of cytochrome c and activation of caspase-3, followed by polyadenosin-5'-diphosphate-ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage. Altogether, our findings suggest a novel function for curcumin, acting as a suppressor of JAK-1 and STAT3 activation in PEL cells, leading to inhibition of proliferation and induction of caspase-dependent apoptosis. Therefore, curcumin may have a future therapeutic role in PEL and possibly other malignancies with constitutive activation of STAT3.
authors.affiliation: King Fahad National Center for Children's Cancer and Research, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Shahab@kfshrc.edu.sa
authors.forename: Shahab
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uddin
authors.forename: Azhar R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.forename: Pulicat S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Manogaran
authors.forename: Khaled
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Al-Hussein
authors.forename: Leonidas C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Platanias
authors.forename: Marina I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Gutierrez
authors.forename: Kishor G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Bhatia
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D053613:Janus Kinase 1; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects; D016066:Pleural Effusion, Malignant / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494086:STAT3 protein, human; D015534:Trans-Activators; D045304:Cytochromes c; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C507904:JAK1 protein, human; D053613:Janus Kinase 1; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases; D003474:Curcumin