title: Curcumin: a potential therapeutic polyphenol, prevents noradrenaline-induced hypertrophy in rat cardiac myocytes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to evaluate the effect of curcumin on H9c2 cardiac cell line and primary rat cardiac myocytes, using purified noradrenaline as a hypertrophy-inducing agent.
  
  
  METHODS
  The concentration of curcumin at which cells were treated was determined by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay. The effect of this safe dose in preventing noradrenaline-induced cardiac hypertrophy was assessed by biochemical analysis (estimating total protein content), molecular analysis (using RT-PCR to study the expression of fetal genes like ANF), immunological analysis (by determining the nuclear localization of GATA-4) and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA; to study DNA binding activity of GATA-4).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Curcumin at a concentration of 8 µm was found to suppress the increase in cell size, protein content and enhanced marker gene expression (ANF) caused by noradrenaline. Immunocytochemistry and Western blot analysis showed that curcumin suppressed the localization of transcription factor GATA-4 in the nucleus. It also showed a reduced DNA-binding activity in the presence of noradrenaline as confirmed by EMSA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that curcumin reduces the hypertrophic marker gene expression by inhibiting nuclear localization and DNA binding activity of GATA-4. Thus it has a great anti-hypertrophic potential.
authors: Department of Biotechnology, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Government Post Graduate College, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors: Suchit
authors: S
authors: Ahuja
authors: Shrey
authors: S
authors: Kohli
authors: Shruti
authors: S
authors: Krishnan
authors: Deepika
authors: D
authors: Dogra
authors: Dinesh
authors: D
authors: Sharma
authors: Vibha
authors: V
authors: Rani
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D015153:Blotting, Western; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003600:Cytosol / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D024202:Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay; D050991:GATA4 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000166:cytology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000633:toxicity; D012313:RNA / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D050991:GATA4 Transcription Factor; D012313:RNA; D004247:DNA; D003474:Curcumin; D009638:Norepinephrine