Effects of curcumin on N-bis(2-hydroxypropyl) nitrosamine (DHPN)-induced lung and liver tumorigenesis in BALB/c mice in vivo.
Curcumin (diferuloylmethane), a phenolic compound from the plant Curcuma longa (Linn.) has been shown to exhibit antitumor activity and apoptosis in many human cancer cell lines including that of lung and liver cancer. In this study, curcumin was evaluated in BALB/c mice for its ability to inhibit pulmonary and liver adenoma formation and growth after they were orally treated with N-bis(2-hydroxypropyl)nitrosamine (DHPN). Animals were treated with DHPN in water for approximately 14 days before multiple doses of curcumin were given intraperitoneally. It was found that 200 microM curcumin reduced lung and liver tumor multiplicity by 37% (p<0.05) and 30% (p<0.05) respectively. The results indicated that curcumin significantly inhibited pulmonary and liver adenoma formation and growth in BALB/c mice. The precise mechanism by which curcumin inhibits lung and liver tumorigenesis remains to be elucidated. Thus, curcumin appears to be a promising new chemotherapeutic and preventive agent for lung and liver cancer induced by DHPN.
Huang
An-Cheng
AC
Department of Pharmacy, Yuan-Lin Kuo Hospital, Yuanlin Town, Changhua County 510, Taiwan.
Lin
Shuw-Yuan
SY
Su
Chin-Cheng
CC
Lin
Song-Shei
SS
Ho
Chin-Chin
CC
Hsia
Te-Chun
TC
Chiu
Tsan-Hung
TH
Yu
Chun-Shu
CS
Ip
Siu-Wan
SW
Lin
Tsung-Ping
TP
Chung
Jing-Gung
JG
D000236:Adenoma / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003474:Curcumin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009602:Nitrosamines
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D009602:Nitrosamines; C012457:diisopropanolnitrosamine; D003474:Curcumin