Knockdown survivin expression reduces the efficacy of curcumin treatment in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.
BACKGROUND
Survivin is a potential therapeutic target for cancer. Increased survivin expression promotes cell survival and therapeutic resistance. However, there is little information regarding whether the expression level of survivin affects curcumin treatment in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).


METHODS
Survivin expression was suppressed in HCC cells using a short interfering RNA (siRNA) technique. The anticancer effects of curcumin were examined using a biosensor system, MTT assay, TUNEL assay, and cell cycle analysis.


RESULTS
Curcumin resistance developed in cells with suppressed survivin, in contrast to the parental cells, as determined by survival assays. Cell cycle analysis and TUNEL assays revealed that the apoptotic cell population was increased in the scrambled-siRNA cells treated with curcumin compared with the survivin-siRNA cells. Suppression of survivin expression resulted in curcumin resistance via the modulation of Bcl-2 and Bax expression.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that the expression levels of survivin may mediate the therapeutic efficacy of curcumin in HCC cells.
Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Chin-Sheng
CS
Hung
Hui-Hsiung
HH
Liu
Ming-Te
MT
Huang
Chao-Wen
CW
Cheng
Li-Jen
LJ
Kuo
Yuan-Soon
YS
Ho
Chih-Hsiung
CH
Wu
Chien-Ming
CM
Chen
Po-Li
PL
Wei
Yu-Jia
YJ
Chang
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D059447:Cell Cycle Checkpoints / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003474:Curcumin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D000077022:Survivin; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C107489:BIRC5 protein, human; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D000077022:Survivin; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D003474:Curcumin