title: Growth inhibition and apoptosis inducing mechanisms of curcumin on human ovarian cancer cell line A2780.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the growth inhibition effects and apoptosis inducing mechanisms of curcumin on human ovarian cancer cell line A2780.
  
  
  METHODS
  After treatment with 10 - 50 micromol/L curcumin for 6 - 24 h, the growth activity of A2780 cancer cells were studied by [4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) colorimetry. Cellular apoptosis was inspected by flow cytometery and acridine orange-ethidium bromide fluorescent staining methods. The fragmentation of cellular chromosome DNA was detected by DNA ladder, the ultrastructural change was observed under a transmission electron microscope, and the protein levels of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB, P65) and cysteinyl aspartate specific protease-3 (Caspase-3) in ovarian cancer cells were measured by immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After treatment with various concentrations of curcumin, the growth inhibition rates of cancer cells reached 62.05% - 89.24%, with sub-G(1) peaks appearing on histogram. Part of the cancer cells showed characteristic morphological changes of apoptosis under fluorescence and electron microscopes, and the rate of apoptosis was 21.5% - 33.5%. The protein expression of NF-kappaB was decreased, while that of Caspase-3 was increased in a time-dependent manner.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Curcumin could significantly inhibit the growth of human ovarian cancer cells; inducing apoptosis through up-regulating Caspase-3 and down-regulating gene expression of NF-kappaB is probably one of its molecular mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Union Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China. ld_zheng@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Li-duan
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Qiang-song
authors.initials: QS
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Cui-huan
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000165:Acridine Orange; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000032:analysis; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003124:Colorimetry; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004996:Ethidium; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000032:analysis; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D016328:NF-kappa B; D053148:Caspase 3; D004996:Ethidium; D000165:Acridine Orange; D003474:Curcumin