title: Effect of curcumin on the interaction between androgen receptor and Wnt/β-catenin in LNCaP xenografts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Curcumin is a nontoxic, chemopreventive agent possessing multifaceted functions. Our previous study showed that curcumin inhibits androgen receptor (AR) through modulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in LNCaP cells. Therefore, we investigated the in vivo effects of curcumin by using LNCaP xenografts.
  
  
  METHODS
  LNCaP cells were subcutaneously inoculated in Balb/c nude mice. When the tumor volume reached greater than 100 mm(3), either curcumin (500 mg/kg body weight) or vehicle was administered through oral gavage three times weekly for 4 weeks. The expression of AR and intermediate products of Wnt/β-catenin were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Curcumin had an inhibitory effect on tumor growth during the early period, which was followed by a slow increase in growth over time. Tumor growth was delayed about 27% in the curcumin group. The mean prostate-specific antigen (PSA) doubling time in the curcumin group was approximately twice that in the untreated group. Curcumin significantly decreased AR expression at both the mRNA and protein level. The PSA levels tended to be reduced in the curcumin group. However, there were no significant changes in expression of Wnt/β-catenin pathway intermediates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study revealed that curcumin initially interferes with prostate cancer growth by inhibiting AR activity and possibly by reducing PSA expression. Further research is needed to investigate the plausible mechanism of the antiandrogenic action of curcumin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Dankook University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Dankook University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea.
authors.forename: Gilho
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Han Yong
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019938:Cyclin D1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D064593:Heterografts; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway / Q000187:drug effects*; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D051176:beta Catenin; D019938:Cyclin D1; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen; D003474:Curcumin
keywords: Androgen receptors; Animal models; Curcumin; Prostate neoplasms