title: Curcumin induces apoptosis involving bax/bcl-2 in human hepatoma SMMC-7721 cells.
abstract: Curcumin is a major active component of Curcuma aromatica salisb, which has been shown to inhibit proliferation of a wide variety of tumor cells. In this study, the molecular mechanisms of curcumin inducing apoptosis in human hepatoma SMMC-7721 cells were examined. We find that curcumin inhibits the growth of SMMC-7721 cells significantly in a concentration-depenent manner, with typical apoptotic morphological changes of cellular nuclei. Annexin-V/PI double staining detected by flow cytometry and expression of the relative apoptotic proteins (Bax, Bcl-2 and caspase-3) revealed a strong apoptosis-inducing competent of curcumin in SMMC-7721 cells. Curcumin increased the expression of bax protein while decreasing that of bc1-2 protein significantly. The results suggest that curcumin induction of apoptosis involves modulation of bax/bcl-2 in SMMC-7721 cells and provide a molecular basis for the development of naturally compounds as novel anticancer agents for human hepatomas.
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, China. Junyu_research@163.com
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xiaosong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Meihong
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D048708:Cell Growth Processes / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C494826:BAX protein, human; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D053148:Caspase 3; D003474:Curcumin