Mitochondrial and Nuclear DNA Damage Induced by Curcumin in Human Hepatoma G2 Cells

Antitumor, anti-invasion, and antimetastatic effects of curcumin

Curcumin was found to be cytotoxic in nature to a wide variety of tumor cell lines of different tissue origin. The action of curcumin is dependent on with the cell type, the concentration of curcumin (IC50: 2-40 microg/mL), and the time of the treatment. The major mechanism by which curcumin induces cytotoxicity is the induction of apoptosis. Curcumin decreased the expression of antiapoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family and elevated the expression of p53, Bax, procaspases 3, 8, and 9. Curcumin prevents the entry of nuclear factor KB (NF-KB) into the nucleus there by decreasing the expression of cell cycle regulatory proteins and survival factors such as Bcl-2 and survivin. Curcumin arrested the cell cycle by preventing the expression of cyclin D1, cdk-1 and cdc-25. Curcumin inhibited the growth of transplantable tumors in different animal models and increased the life span of tumor-harboring animals. Curcumin inhibits metastasis of tumor cells as shown in in vitro as well as in vivo models, and the possible mechanism is the inhibition of matrix metalloproteases. Curcumin was found to suppress the expression of cyclooxygenase-2, vascular endothelial growth factor, and intercellular adhesion molecule- and elevated the expression of antimetastatic proteins, the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteases-2, nonmetastatic gene 23, and Ecadherin. These results indicate that curcumin acts at various stages of tumor cell progression.

CURCUMIN: THE INDIAN SOLID GOLD

Turmeric, derived from the plant Curcuma longa, is a gold-colored spice commonly used in the Indian subcontinent, not only for health care but also for the preservation of food and as a yellow dye for textiles. Curcumin, which gives the yellow color to turmeric, was first isolated almost two centuries ago, and its structure as diferuloylmethane was determined in 1910. Since the time of Ayurveda (1900 Bc) numerous therapeutic activities have been assigned to turmeric for a wide variety of diseases and conditions, including those of the skin, pulmonary, and gastrointestinal systems, aches, pains, wounds, sprains, and liver disorders. Extensive research within the last half century has proven that most of these activities, once associated with turmeric, are due to curcumin. Curcumin has been shown to exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer activities and thus has a potential against various malignant diseases, diabetes, allergies, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, and other chronic illnesses. These effects are mediated through the regulation of various transcription factors, growth factors, inflammatory cytokines, protein kinases, and other enzymes. Curcumin exhibits activities similar to recently discovered tumor necrosis factor blockers (e.g., HUMIRA, REMICADE, and ENBREL), a vascular endothelial cell growth factor blocker (e.g., AVASTIN), human epidermal growth factor receptor blockers (e.g., ERBITUX, ERLOTINIB, and GEFTINIB), and a HER2 blocker (e.g., HERCEPTIN). Considering the recent scientific bandwagon that multitargeted therapy is better than monotargeted therapy for most diseases, curcumin can be considered an ideal "Spice for Life".

Curcumin-induced genotoxicity and antigenotoxicity in HepG2 cells

Curcumin, a polyphenolic yellow pigment found in turmeric, is commonly used as a coloring agent in foods, drugs, and cosmetics. In our previous study, we found that low levels of curcumin did not increase the reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and caused no damage to DNA in human hepatoma G2 (HepG2) cells, but at high doses, curcumin imposed oxidative stress and damaged DNA. In the present study, we are determined to investigate the genotoxic and antigenotoxic effects of curcumin using HepG2 cell line, a relevant in vitro model to detect the cytoprotective, antigenotoxic, and cogenotoxic agents. The results of micronucleus (MN) assays showed that, on one hand, curcumin at the high tested concentrations (8 and 16 microg/ml) displayed a small but significant increase in the frequency of MN, and on the other hand, it was observed that the low tested concentration (2 microg/ml) significantly reduced the MN formation induced by the chemotherapeutic agent cyclophosphamide. The present results indicate that curcumin shows both genotoxicity and antigenotoxicity depending on its concentration.

Approach for assessing total cellular DNA damage

The capability to relate phenotypic effects to damage associated with either the mitochondrial or nuclear genome is especially useful under a number of circumstances. Potential hazardous exposures can be evaluated for genotoxicity and related to diseases, particularly cancer. The correlation of DNA damage with adverse health effects is also important in evaluating the safety of various chemical agents and prospective therapeutics. Many techniques exist that afford the ability to identify and measure cellular DNA damage upon exposure to a suspected genotoxic agent; however, quite often these techniques are limited either by the advanced instrumentation and skill needed to perform the analyses or the amount of time needed and limited information obtained regarding the types of DNA damage generated. Recent advances in cellular-based methods have resulted in the timely and straightforward collection of reliable and specific data regarding levels of damage and the identity of the damage products. Antibodies developed for DNA damage lesions allow for the direct measurement of those lesions within a population of exposed cells, while the automation of the single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet) assay and the use of scoring software have led to rapid and standardized data collection. This essay describes the usefulness of these approaches, while providing a brief experimental overview of the techniques.

Cytotoxic effect of curcumin on malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum: inhibition of histone acetylation and generation of reactive oxygen species

The emergence of multidrug-resistant parasites is a major concern for malaria control, and development of novel drugs is a high priority. Curcumin, a natural polyphenolic compound, possesses diverse pharmacological properties. Among its antiprotozoan activities, curcumin was potent against both chloroquine-sensitive and -resistant Plasmodium falciparum strains. Consistent with findings in mammalian cell lines, curcumin's prooxidant activity promoted the production in P. falciparum of reactive oxygen species (ROS), whose cytotoxic effect could be antagonized by coincubation with antioxidants and ROS scavengers. Curcumin treatment also resulted in damage of both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, probably due to the elevation of intracellular ROS. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that curcumin inhibited the histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity of the recombinant P. falciparum general control nonderepressed 5 (PfGCN5) in vitro and reduced nuclear HAT activity of the parasite in culture. Curcumin-induced hypoacetylation of histone H3 at K9 and K14, but not H4 at K5, K8, K12, and K16, suggested that curcumin caused specific inhibition of the PfGCN5 HAT. Taken together, these results indicated that at least the generation of ROS and down-regulation of PfGCN5 HAT activity accounted for curcumin's cytotoxicity for malaria parasites.