title: Curcumin and docosahexaenoic acid block insulin-induced colon carcinoma cell proliferation.
abstract: Diets high in fish and curcumin are associated with a decreased risk of CRC. Insulin resistance and obesity are associated with increased CRC risk and higher reoccurrence rates. We utilized cell culture to determine if dietary compounds could reduce insulin-induced cell proliferation comparing the response in normal and metastatic colon epithelial cells. We treated model normal murine colon epithelial cells (YAMC) and adenocarcinoma cells (MC38) with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) or curcumin alone and then co-treatments of the diet-derived compound and insulin were combined. Cell proliferation was stimulated with insulin (1 ug/mL) to model insulin resistance in obesity. Despite the presence of insulin, proliferation was reduced in the MC38 cells treated with 10 μM curcumin (p<0.001) and 50 μM DHA (p<0.001). Insulin stimulated MAPK and MEK phosphorylation was inhibited by DHA and curcumin in MC38 cancer cells. Here we show that curcumin and DHA can block insulin-induced colon cancer cell proliferation in vitro via a MEK mediated mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA. imigjeni@msu.edu
authors.forename: Jenifer I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Fenton
authors.forename: Sarah J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: McCaskey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002070:Butadienes / Q000494:pharmacology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005260:Female; D007328:Insulin / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D009570:Nitriles / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002070:Butadienes; D007328:Insulin; D009570:Nitriles; C113580:U 0126; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D003474:Curcumin