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Curcumin induces apoptosis in human breast cancer cells through p53‐dependent Bax induction
Author(s) -
Choudhuri Tathagata,
Pal Suman,
Agwarwal Munna L,
Das Tanya,
Sa Gaurisankar
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/s0014-5793(02)02292-5
Subject(s) - curcumin , apoptosis , cancer research , mcf 7 , cell , cancer , breast cancer , cancer cell , chemistry , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , human breast , biochemistry , genetics
The aim of this study was to determine the mechanisms of curcumin‐induced human breast cancer cell apoptosis. From quantitative image analysis data showing an increase in the percentage of cells with a sub‐G0/G1 DNA content, we demonstrated curcumin‐induced apoptosis in the breast cancer cell line MCF‐7, in which expression of wild‐type p53 could be induced. Apoptosis was accompanied by an increase in p53 level as well as its DNA‐binding activity followed by Bax expression at the protein level. Further experiments using p53‐null MDAH041 cell as well as low and high p53‐expressing TR9‐7 cell, in which p53 expression is under tight control of tetracycline, established that curcumin induced apoptosis in tumor cells via a p53‐dependent pathway in which Bax is the downstream effector of p53. This property of curcumin suggests that this molecule could have a possible therapeutic potential in breast cancer patients.