title: Potential therapeutic efficacy of curcumin in liver cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Liver cancer, one of the most common cancers in China, is reported to feature relatively high morbidity and mortality. Curcumin (Cum) is considered as a drug possessing anti-angiogenic, anti-inflammation and anti-oxidation effect. Previous research has demonstrated antitumor effects in a series of cancers.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study the in vitro cytotoxicity of Cum was measured by MTT assay and pro-apoptotic effects were assessed by DAPI staining and measurement of caspase-3 activity. In vivo anti-hepatoma efficacy of Cum was assessed with HepG2 xenografts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  It is found that Cum dose-dependently inhibited cell growth in HepG2 cells with activation of apoptosis. Moreover, Cum delayed the growth of liver cancer in a dose-dependent manner in nude mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cum might be a promising phytomedicine in cancer therapy and further efforts are needed to explore this therapeutic strategy.
authors.affiliation: Liver Transplantation Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Ministry of Public Health, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Xin-Zheng
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Hai-Tao
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Ling-Fei
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Chong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xin-En
authors.initials: XE
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xiang-Cheng
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D053148:Caspase 3; D003474:Curcumin