Curcumin exerts multiple suppressive effects on human breast carcinoma cells
Shao, Z-Ming.; Shen, Z-Zhou.; Liu, C-Hui.; Sartippour, M.R.; Go, V.Liang.; Heber, D.; Nguyen, M.
International Journal of Cancer 98(2): 234-240
2002
ISSN/ISBN: 0020-7136 PMID: 11857414 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.10183Document Number: 244988
Curcumin is a major component of the dried rhizome of turmeric (Curcuma longa), which is commonly used as a yellow colouring and flavouring agent in food items in Asian countries. In our study, we present experimental evidence suggesting that curcumin exerts multiple different suppressive effects on human breast carcinoma cells in vitro. Our experiments demonstrate that curcumin's antiproliferative effects are oestrogen dependent in oestrogen receptor-positive MCF-7 cells, being more pronounced in oestrogen-containing media and in the presence of exogenous 17- beta estradiol. Curcumin inhibits the expression of oestrogen receptor downstream genes including pS2 and TGF- beta (transforming growth factor) in oestrogen receptor-positive MCF-7 cells, and this inhibition is also dependent on the presence of oestrogen. Curcumin also decreases oestrogen responsive element-CAT activities induced by 17- beta estradiol. In addition, we demonstrate that curcumin exerts strong antiinvasive effects in vitro that are not oestrogen dependent in the ER-negative MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. These antiinvasive effects appear to be mediated through the downregulation of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and the upregulation of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1, 2 common effector molecules that have been implicated in regulating tumour cell invasion. Our study also demonstrates that curcumin inhibits the transcript levels of 2 major angiogenesis factors vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor mainly in ER-negative MDA-MB-231 cells.
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