title: Curcumol induces apoptosis in SPC-A-1 human lung adenocarcinoma cells and displays anti-neoplastic effects in tumor bearing mice.
abstract: Curcumol is a sesquiterpene originally isolated from curcuma rhizomes, a component of herbal remedies commonly used in oriental medicine. Its beneficial pharmacological activities have attract significant interest recently. In this study, anti-cancer activity of curcumol was examined with both in vitro and in vivo models. It was found that curcumol exhibited time- and concentration-dependent anti-proliferative effects in SPC-A-1 human lung adenocarcinoma cells with cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase while apoptosis-induction was also confirmed with flow cytometry and morphological analyses. Interestingly, curcumol did not display growth inhibition in MRC-5 human embryonic lung fibroblasts, suggesting the anti-proliferative effects of curcumol were specific to cancer cells. Anti-neoplastic effects of curcumol were also confirmed in tumor bearing mice. Curcumol (60 mg/kg daily) significantly reduced tumor size without causing notable toxicity. In conclusion, curcumol appears a favorable anti-cancer candidate for further development.
authors.affiliation: College of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangdong, China E-mail : zanglq@163.com.
authors.forename: Qi-Ling
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Ji-Quan
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Qi-You
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hai-Shu
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Zhou-Ping
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Tong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Xue-Diao
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Su-Jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lin-Quan
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: Zang
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C022801:curcumol