title: Curcumin attenuates osteogenic differentiation and calcification of rat vascular smooth muscle cells.
abstract: Vascular calcification has been considered as a biological process resembling bone formation involving osteogenic differentiation. It is a major risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Previous studies have shown the protective effects of curcumin on cardiovascular diseases. However, whether curcumin has effects on osteogenic differentiation and calcification of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) has not been reported. In the present study, we used an in vitro model of VSMC calcification to investigate the role of curcumin in the progression of rat VSMC calcification. Curcumin treatment significantly reduced calcification of VSMCs in a dose-dependent manner, detected by alizarin red staining and calcium content assay. Similarly, ALP activity and expression of bone-related molecules including Runx2, BMP2, and Osterix were also decreased in VSMCs treated with curcumin. In addition, flow cytometry analysis and caspase-3 activity assay revealed that curcumin treatment significantly suppressed apoptosis of VSMCs, which plays an important role during vascular calcification. Furthermore, we found that pro-apoptotic molecules including p-JNK and Bax were up-regulated in VSMCs treated with calcifying medium, but they were reduced in VSMCs after curcumin treatment. However, curcumin treatment has no effect on expression of NF-κB p65. Taken together, these findings suggest that curcumin attenuates apoptosis and calcification of VSMCs, presumably via inhibition of JNK/Bax signaling pathway.
authors: Department of Pathophysiolgy, Zhongshan Medical School, Sun Yat-Sen University, 74 Zhongshan Er Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
authors: Menglin
authors: M
authors: Hou
authors: Department of Pathophysiolgy, Zhongshan Medical School, Sun Yat-Sen University, 74 Zhongshan Er Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Song
authors: Department of Histology and Embryology, Key Laboratory of Tissue Construction and Detection of Guangdong Province, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Zhenlin
authors: Z
authors: Li
authors: Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Chufan
authors: C
authors: Luo
authors: Division of Cardiac Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.|The Key Laboratory of Assisted Circulation, Ministry of Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Jing-Song
authors: JS
authors: Ou
authors: Department of Cardiology, Guangdong General Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences and Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Huimin
authors: H
authors: Yu
authors: Department of Histology and Embryology, Key Laboratory of Tissue Construction and Detection of Guangdong Province, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China. yanjy790@163.com.
authors: Jianyun
authors: J
authors: Yan
authors: Department of Pathophysiolgy, Zhongshan Medical School, Sun Yat-Sen University, 74 Zhongshan Er Road, Guangzhou, 510080, China. lulihe@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
authors: Lihe
authors: L
authors: Lu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D061205:Vascular Calcification / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D003474:Curcumin
keywords: Apoptosis; Calcification; Curcumin; Vascular smooth muscle cells