Curcumin Promotes Cell Cycle Arrest and Inhibits Survival of Human Renal Cancer Cells by Negative Modulation of the PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway

Abstract

Curcumin possesses anti-cancer effects. In the current study, we tested the effect of curcumin on cell proliferation, viability, apoptosis, cell cycle phases, and activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway in the renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cell line RCC-949. We observed that cell proliferation and viability were markedly inhibited by curcumin, while cell apoptosis was promoted. The latter effect was associated with increased expression of Bcl-2 and diminished expression of Bax (both: mRNA and protein). The cells treated with curcumin increasingly went into cell cycle arrest, which was likely mediated by diminished expression of cyclin B1, as seen in curcumin-treated cells. In addition, curcumin decreased activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that curcumin exerts anti-cancer effects by negative modulation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and may represent a promising new drug to treat RCC.

Curcumin Induces p53‐Null Hepatoma Cell Line Hep3B Apoptosis through the AKT‐PTEN‐FOXO4 Pathway

“…Treatment with curcumin inhibits the PI3K/AKT pathway in various types of cancer cells including breast cancer [17], lung cancer [18], colon cancer [19], renal cancer [20], ovarian carcinoma [21], pancreatic cancer [22], osteosarcoma [23], acute T cell leukemias [24], and liver cancer [25]. The results of this study are consistent with these reports.…”

<em>LEF1-AS1</em>, a long non-coding RNA, promotes malignancy in glioblastoma

“…To the best of our knowledge, Akt/mTOR signaling pathway is one of the most important signaling pathways regulating apoptosis and cyclic protein of tumor cells. 31 , 32 Activated ERK1/2 could increase the production of MMPs. 33 As expected, LEF1-AS1 knockdown decreased the cell pro-invasion protein (MMP9 and MMP2), G1 phase protein (cyclinD1), and Blc-2 significantly in both U87 and U251 cell lines, while it decreased the cell-cycle regulatory protein p27 and pro-apoptosis protein Bax significantly, indicating that LEF1-AS1 -regulated GBM progression involved these genes.…”

The Role of Compounds Derived from Natural Supplement as Anticancer Agents in Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Review

“…Across a variety of studies, curcumin has shown numerous pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory [ 92 , 93 , 94 ], antiviral [ 95 , 96 ], anti-oxidant [ 94 ], wound healing [ 97 ], hepatoprotective [ 98 ], and anti-microbial effects [ 99 , 100 ]. Moreover, curcumin has been used as a chemopreventive agent and an anti-cancer therapy in several human carcinomas, including colorectal [ 101 ], melanoma [ 102 ], lymphoma [ 103 ], breast [ 104 , 105 ], thyroid [ 106 ], head and neck [ 107 ], prostate [ 108 ], pancreatic [ 109 , 110 ], ovarian [ 111 ] and RCC [ 91 , 112 , 113 , 114 , 115 , 116 , 117 , 118 ].…”

“…Woo et al, also suggested that curcumin induced apoptosis through the dephosphorylation of AKT, down-regulation of BCL-2, BCL-XL and inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) proteins, activation of caspase 3 and release of cytochrome C [ 114 ]. Zhang and groups demonstrated that curcumin significantly inhibits proliferation of RRC-949 cell lines and induces cell apoptosis, possibly via regulation of BCL-2 and BAX, and initiates cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase [ 116 ]. Curcumin exposure induces apoptosis through cell cycle arrest in G1-phase and increases the volume of human kidney cells by modulating chloride ion channel [ 91 ].…”