title: Curcumin inhibits Ec109 cell growth via an AMPK-mediated metabolic switch.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Glycolytic enzymes are always greatly increased in cancer cells. Whether metabolic reprogramming is involved in curcumin-mediated inhibition of cancer cell growth is unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, cell viability was assayed with MTS analysis; cell cycle was measured with flow cytometry analysis. RT-PCR and western blotting were used to analyse the mRNA and protein expression, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Here we demonstrated that curcumin inhibited cancer cell growth, especially for Ec109 cells. Curcumin induced cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase. Curcumin caused a significant down-regulation of glycolytic enzymes expressions in a dose-dependent manner. Our results further indicated that the AMPK was required for curcumin-mediated down-regulation of glycolytic enzymes. AMPK-mediated down-regulation of glycolytic enzymes blocked Ec109 cell growth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Taken together, our results revealed that the AMPK-mediated metabolic switch plays an important role in esophageal cancer cell growth.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science & Bioengineering, Beijing University of Technology, Pingleyuan 100(#), District of Chaoyang, Beijing 100124, China.
authors.forename: Feng-Juan
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science & Bioengineering, Beijing University of Technology, Pingleyuan 100(#), District of Chaoyang, Beijing 100124, China. Electronic address: zhanghs@bjut.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Hong-Sheng
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science & Bioengineering, Beijing University of Technology, Pingleyuan 100(#), District of Chaoyang, Beijing 100124, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science & Bioengineering, Beijing University of Technology, Pingleyuan 100(#), District of Chaoyang, Beijing 100124, China. Electronic address: yhuang@bjut.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ying-Hui
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D059565:G2 Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints / Q000187:drug effects*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects; D006019:Glycolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D059566:M Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases; D003474:Curcumin
keywords: AMPK; Curcumin; Ec109 cell; Glycolytic enzymes; Metabolic reprogramming