title: The Effects of Curcumin-based Compounds on Proliferation and Cell Death in Cervical Cancer Cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To systematically investigate the effects of a class of curcumin-based compounds on cancer cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cytotoxicity and anti-proliferative potency were estimated by the trypan blue exclusion assay and WST-1 cell proliferation assay, respectively. Cell death pathways were discriminated according to plasma membrane integrity and lipid asymmetry cell profiles using a F2N12S and CYTOX AADvanced double staining flow cytometry-based assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine compounds ( 2-10: ) exhibit 13- to 58-fold better cytotoxic and anti-proliferative potencies than curcumin towards HeLa cells. In this cervical cancer cell model, dienone and 1-methylpiperidone serve as the favorable central linkers; 5-methylisoxazol-3-yl and 3-methylisoxazol-5-yl act as the optimal terminal aromatic moiety. Finally, the effects of compounds 6: and 10: on HeLa cells' plasma membrane integrity and lipid asymmetry suggest that the early cytotoxic effect of these compounds is due to a stimulation of apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, California State University, Fresno, CA, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Xiaojie
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, California State University, Fresno, CA, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Rubing
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, California State University, Fresno, CA, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Guanglin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, California State University, Fresno, CA, U.S.A. qchen@csufresno.edu ldejean@csufresno.edu.
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dejean
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, California State University, Fresno, CA, U.S.A. qchen@csufresno.edu ldejean@csufresno.edu.
authors.forename: Qiao-Hong
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D003474:Curcumin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003474:Curcumin
keywords: Curcumin-based compounds; anti-proliferative activity; apoptosis; cancer; cytotoxicity