title: Curcumin inhibits human retinal pigment epithelial cell proliferation.
abstract: Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) is a common cause of intraoperative failure following retinal reattachment surgery and is mediated in part through the migration, de-differentiation and proliferation of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. Given the cytotoxic effects of curcumin on epithelial and endothelial cells, in this study, we assessed the effects of curcumin on human RPE (hRPE) cell proliferation. WST-1 analysis revealed that curcumin significantly inhibited primary hRPE cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner (P<0.001) with the greatest inhibition observed at the dose of 15 µg/ml curcumin. Flow cytometric analysis indicated that the cytotoxic effects of curcumin on hRPE cell proliferation were mediated by cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase and the induction of apoptosis (both P<0.001), which was confirmed by ultrastructural analysis using transmission electron microscopy. Furthermore, western blot analysis revealed that curcumin induced p53 and p21(WAF1/CIP1) expression with a concomitant decrease in proliferating cell nuclear antigen protein levels (P<0.05). Curcumin effectively inhibited primary hRPE cell proliferation, which may be mediated by the p53 pathway. Further in vivo studies are required in order to fully explore the therapeutic potential of curcumin for PVR.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China.
authors: Yun
authors: Y
authors: Sun
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China.
authors: Zhi-Peng
authors: ZP
authors: You
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21 / Q000378:metabolism; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D009336:Necrosis; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D055213:Retinal Pigment Epithelium / Q000166:cytology*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D003474:Curcumin