Korean J Nutr.  2004 Jan;37(1):31-37.

Effects of Curcumin on Apoptosis in SW480 Human Colon Cancer Cell Line

• Choi OS
• Kim WK

Abstract

Curcumin, a natural compound extracted from rhizomes of Curcuma longa, has been shown to possess potent antiinflammatory and anti-tumor activity. The mechanism by which curcumin initiates apoptosis remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of curcumin on caspase-3 activity and protein expression of procaspase-3, Bcl-2, Bax, total Akt and phosphorylated Akt in SW480 human colon cancer cell. We cultured SW480 cells in the presence of various concentrations(0, 10, 20 or 30 uM) of curcumin. Curcumin inhibited colon cancer cell growth in a dosedependent manner (p < 0.05). Caspase-3 activity was significantly increased dose-dependently in cells treated with curcumin (p < 0.05), concisely procaspase-3 expression was significantly decreased. Bcl-2 levels were decreased dosedependently in cells treated with curcumin (p < 0.05), but Bax remained unchanged. In addition, phosphorylated Akt levels and total Akt levels were markedly lower in cells treated with 20 uM of curcumin treatment (p < 0.05). In conclusion, we have shown that curcumin inhibits cell growth and induces apoptosis in SW480 human colon cancer cell lines via Akt signal pathway.

Keyword

curcumin; apoptosis; caspase-3; Bcl-2; Bax; Akt

MeSH Terms

Apoptosis*
Caspase 3
Cell Line*
Colon*
Colonic Neoplasms*
Curcuma
Curcumin*
Humans*
Rhizome
Signal Transduction
Caspase 3
Curcumin