title: Study on the influence of curcumin on chemosensitivity of nephroblastoma cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the influence of curcumin on chemosensitivity of nephroblastoma cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human nephroblastoma cells line SK-NEP-1 was transplanted to the nude mice subcutaneously to establish the implantation tumor model of human nephroblastoma cells. A total of 30 tumor-bearing mice were divided into three groups of ten randomly. The routine chemotherapy group was given vincristine (0.05 mg/mL·0.2 mL/d) and actinomycin D (15 ng/mL·0.2 mL/d) combined chemotherapy regime. The curcumin chemotherapy group was given the same combined chemotherapy regimens and curcumin (30 mg/kg/d) by intraperitoneal injection. The control group was given normal saline (NS) of the same volume by intraperitoneal injection. Continuous administration would be kept for 4 weeks and 3 days a week. The volumetric changes of every group were recorded. The serum of every group in different time was collected and the VEGF content was detected by ELISA. All mice were cercrificed and the tumor tissues were stripped and weighed after 4 weeks' treatment. The tumor inhibition rate was calculated. The cell proliferation activity and apoptosis rate were detected by MTT and flow cytometry method. All data were statistically analyzed by SPSS 19.0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The tumor volume, serum VEGF content, tumor inhibition rate, cell proliferation activity and apoptosis rate of routine chemotherapy group and curcumin chemotherapy group had significant differences comparing with the control group (P < 0.05) after 4-week's treatment. The cancer growth of curcumin chemotherapy group was obviously decreased and even tended to shrink comparing with routine chemotherapy group (χ(2) = 15.732, P = 0.007). The cell proliferation activity was significantly reduced and the apoptosis rate was significantly higher, (χ(2) = 9.427, P = 0.012) which showing the effect of chemotherapy was enhanced.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The chemosensitivity of nephroblastoma cells could be improved by curcumin, then the effect of preoperative adjuvant chemotherapy scheme would be enhanced, the growth of nephroblastoma cells would be inhibited and the surgical risk of nephroblastoma would be reduced.
authors: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, China.
authors: Xiao-Yong
authors: XY
authors: Li
authors: Department of Paediatrics, Children's Hospital of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, China.
authors: Yuan-Yuan
authors: YY
authors: Feng
authors: Department of Paediatrics, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Tonglu County, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Dan
authors: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, China.
authors: Deng
authors: D
authors: Pan
authors: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, China.
authors: Guo-Feng
authors: GF
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, China.
authors: Xian-Liang
authors: XL
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Zhengzhou, Zhengzhou, China. Electronic address: wuge73@126.com.
authors: Guang-Jun
authors: GJ
authors: Hou
keywords: Chemosensitivity; Curcumin; Nephroblastoma; Transplanted tumor model; Vincristine