[Curcumin promotes apoptosis of esophageal squamous carcinoma cell lines through inhibition of NF-kappaB signaling pathway].
OBJECTIVE
Activation of NF-kappaB signaling pathway plays a critical role in the initiation and progression of carcinogenesis. However, the role of NF-kappaB pathway in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has not been fully elucidated. Studies have shown that curcumin possesses anti-infection and anti-oxidation effects. This study was to evaluate whether curcumin could induce apoptosis through inhibition of NF-kappaB signaling pathway in ESCC cells.


METHODS
Expressions of pIkappaBalpha and Bcl-2 were detected using Western blott after incubation of ESCC cells with curcumin (50 micromol/L) at different time points. Apoptosis and the number of viable ESCC cells were analyzed using flow cytometry and MTT, respectively, after the treatment of curcumin, 5-FU, or the combination of curcumin and 5-FU.


RESULTS
In two ESCC cell lines, EC9706 and Eca109,curcumin inhibited IkappaBalpha phosphorylation and Bcl-2 in a time-dependent manner; curcumin alone increased cell apoptosis (P<0.05), and the effect became more prominent when it was combined with 5-FU (P<0.05); curcumin plus 5-FU exerted a stronger inhibition effect on cell proliferation than curcumin alone (P<0.05) or 5-FU alone (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Curcumin inhibits the phosphorylation of IkappaBalpha, leading to suppression of proliferation, induction of apoptosis and an increase of the sensitivity of ESCC cell lines towards 5-FU.
Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, P. R. China.
Fang
F
Tian
Min
M
Song
Pei-Rong
PR
Xu
Hong-Tao
HT
Liu
Le-Xun
LX
Xue
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000502:physiology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000032:analysis; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016328:NF-kappa B; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D003474:Curcumin; D005472:Fluorouracil