title: [The effects of curcumin on PTEN/PI3K/Akt pathway in Ec109 cells].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the inhibition effect of curcumin on the proliferation of the human esophageal carcinoma cell line Ec109 and its impact on PEN/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.
  
  
  METHODS
  Esophageal carcinoma Ec109 cells were cultured in vitro conventionally and were treated with curcumin at different concentrations. The cell proliferation level was examined by MIT colorimetry, the ultrastructure of curcumin-treated Ec109 cells were detected with transmission electron microscope (TEM) and cell apoptosis was observed by FCM with AnnexinV-FITC/PI double staining. The protein levels of PTEN, Akt, GSK3P and Caspase 3 of curcumin-treated Ec109 cells were detected by Western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MTT test showed that curcumin could inhibit the proliferation of Ec109 cells in a time and concentration-dependent manner. TEM examination indicated that curcumin could induce Ec109 cell apoptosis. FCM detection showed that Ec109 cell apoptotic rate increased significantly with the increase of drug concentration. On the other hand, curcumin could promote the expression of PTEN, GSK3beta and Caspase 3 yet reduce the expression of Akt.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Curcumin could obviously up-regulate the expression of PTEN, GSK3beta and Caspase 3, surpress PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and hence inhibit the proliferation of Ec109 cells.
authors.forename: Xiu-juan
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lit
authors.forename: Chun-ting
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Yu-zhen
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D006801:Humans; D051058:Oncogene Protein v-akt / Q000378:metabolism*; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase / Q000378:metabolism*; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; C000605506:GSK3B protein, human; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D051058:Oncogene Protein v-akt; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; C494929:PTEN protein, human; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D003474:Curcumin