Curcumin enhanced the antiptoliferative activity of 5-fu in colorectal cancer cells

Colorectal cancer (CRC), is the third leading cause of cancer-related death. Against this background, Wnt/β-catenin pathway is shown to be associated with cell proliferation and cell resistance to chemotherapy. Furthermore, several studies have been shown the therapeutic potential of curcumin in different tumors, including CRC. The aim of current study was to explore the anti-proliferative activityof curcumin in two- and three-dimensional models of CRC cells. The cytotoxic activity of curcumin was investigated in CT26 by MTT assay (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay) as well as in three-dimensional models of CRC. The anti-proliferative activity of curcumin alone and in combination with 5-FU was assessed. Also, the expression level of Cyclin D1 was studied beforeand after treatment. Curcumin suppressed cell growth in CT26 cells and the IC-50 value was reduced from ~300 uM to ~32 uM in curcumin+5-FU combination. Moreover, tumor shrinkage was detected after 7 days in curcumin treatment group. Also, the expression level of cyclin D1 was significantly reduced (~22%) in the treatment group versus control group. We demonstrated the antitumor activity of curcumin in CRC cells, supporting further investigations on the role of this anticancer agent with 5- FU in vivo model

Keywords:

Colorectal Cancer , Cell and Cancer , Nutrition and Cancer , Cancer Treatment and Management , Drugs and Cancer