| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India
Requests for reprints: Ashok Khar, Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500 007, India. Phone: 91-40-2719-2514; Fax: 91-40-2716-0591/2716-0311. E-mail: khar{at}ccmb.res.in
Curcumin, a well-known dietary pigment derived from Curcuma longa, inhibited growth of several types of malignant cells both in vivo and in vitro. However, its mechanism of action still remains unclear. In this study, we have focused primarily on the cytotoxic effects of curcumin on three human tumor cell lines and rat primary hepatocytes. Curcumin induced apoptosis in MCF-7, MDAMB, and HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. Apoptosis was mediated through the generation of reactive oxygen species. Attempts were made to establish the role played by endogenous glutathione on the apoptotic activity of curcumin. Depletion of glutathione by buthionine sulfoximine resulted in the increased generation of reactive oxygen species, thereby further sensitizing the cells to curcumin. Interestingly, curcumin had no effect on normal rat hepatocytes, which showed no superoxide generation and therefore no cell death. These observations suggest that curcumin, a molecule with varied actions, could be developed into an effective chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agent.
Received 1/ 7/04; revised 6/18/04; accepted 7/ 6/04.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  M. Miller, S. Chen, J. Woodliff, and S. Kansra Curcumin (Diferuloylmethane) Inhibits Cell Proliferation, Induces Apoptosis, and Decreases Hormone Levels and Secretion in Pituitary Tumor Cells Endocrinology, August 1, 2008; 149(8): 4158 - 4167. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. Javvadi, A. T. Segan, S. W. Tuttle, and C. Koumenis The Chemopreventive Agent Curcumin Is a Potent Radiosensitizer of Human Cervical Tumor Cells via Increased Reactive Oxygen Species Production and Overactivation of the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Pathway Mol. Pharmacol., May 1, 2008; 73(5): 1491 - 1501. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. K. Sandur, M. K. Pandey, B. Sung, K. S. Ahn, A. Murakami, G. Sethi, P. Limtrakul, V. Badmaev, and B. B. Aggarwal Curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin, tetrahydrocurcumin and turmerones differentially regulate anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative responses through a ROS-independent mechanism Carcinogenesis, August 1, 2007; 28(8): 1765 - 1773. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. M. Kamat, G. Sethi, and B. B. Aggarwal Curcumin potentiates the apoptotic effects of chemotherapeutic agents and cytokines through down-regulation of nuclear factor-{kappa}B and nuclear factor-{kappa}B-regulated gene products in IFN-{alpha}-sensitive and IFN-{alpha}-resistant human bladder cancer cells Mol. Cancer Ther., March 1, 2007; 6(3): 1022 - 1030. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. Tamvakopoulos, K. Dimas, Z. D. Sofianos, S. Hatziantoniou, Z. Han, Z.-L. Liu, J. H. Wyche, and P. Pantazis Metabolism and Anticancer Activity of the Curcumin Analogue, Dimethoxycurcumin Clin. Cancer Res., February 15, 2007; 13(4): 1269 - 1277. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. Fang, J. Lu, and A. Holmgren Thioredoxin Reductase Is Irreversibly Modified by Curcumin: A NOVEL MOLECULAR MECHANISM FOR ITS ANTICANCER ACTIVITY J. Biol. Chem., July 1, 2005; 280(26): 25284 - 25290. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| Cancer Research | Clinical Cancer Research |
| Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention | Molecular Cancer Therapeutics |
| Molecular Cancer Research | Cancer Prevention Research |
| Cancer Prevention Journals Portal | Cancer Reviews Online |
| Annual Meeting Education Book | Meeting Abstracts Online |
