Delayed activation of PKCdelta and NFkappaB and higher radioprotection in splenic lymphocytes by copper (II)-Curcumin (1:1) complex as compared to curcumin

A mononuclear 1:1 copper complex of curcumin had been found to be superior to curcumin in its anti-oxidant properties. This paper describes the radio-protective effects of the complex in splenic lymphocytes from swiss mice. The complex was found to be very effective in protecting the cells against radiation-induced suppression of glutathione peroxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities. Both curcumin and the complex protected radiation-induced protein carbonylation and lipid peroxidation in lymphocytes with the complex showing better protection than curcumin. It also showed better overall protection by decreasing the radiation-induced apoptosis. The kinetics of activation of PKCdelta and NFkappaB after irradiation in presence or absence of these compounds was looked at to identify the molecular mechanism involved. The modulation of irradiation-induced activation of PKCdelta and NFkappaB by curcumin and the complex was found different at later time periods although the initial response was similar. The early responses could be mere stress responses and the activation of crucial signaling factors at later time periods may be the determinants of the fate of the cell. In this study this delayed effect was observed in case of complex but not in case of curcumin. The delayed effect of the complex along with the fact that it is a better free radical scavenger must be the reason for its better efficacy. The complex was also found to be less cytotoxic then curcumin at similar concentration.     

姜黄素及其类似物J7对2型糖尿病大鼠睾丸氧化应激损伤的干预作用*

目的: 研究姜黄素(CUR)及其类似物J7对糖尿病大鼠睾丸氧化应激损伤的干预作用。方法: 60只SD大鼠随机分组,其中10只作为正常(NC)组,余50只通过高脂饮食和腹腔注射链脲佐菌素诱导建立糖尿病大鼠模型,造模成功后将其再分为4组:糖尿病(DM,n=12)组、姜黄素治疗(CUR,n=10)组、J7高剂量治疗(J+,n=10)组、J7低剂量治疗(J-,n=10)组。CUR组大鼠每天予以姜黄素20 mg/kg灌胃治疗,J+及J-组分别予以J7 20 mg/kg、10 mg/kg灌胃治疗,8周后处死大鼠,测量各组大鼠体重、空腹血糖,羟胺法和硫代巴比妥酸法分别检测超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性和丙二醛(MDA)含量,Western blot法检测tNrf2、pNrf2、CAT、NQO1蛋白表达水平,qRT-PCR检测CAT、NQO1、HO1 mRNA表达水平,光镜下观察大鼠睾丸形态学改变,免疫组化检测Nrf2及CAT蛋白表达情况。结果: DM组血糖、MDA水平升高(P＜0.05),体重、SOD活性、pNrf2/tNrf2、CAT、NQO1蛋白及CAT、NQO1、HO1 mRNA水平均有下降(P＜0.05);光镜下见睾丸各级生精细胞减少、排列紊乱;免疫组化显示Nrf2蛋白核周表达量下降,CAT蛋白表达水平降低。经姜黄素及J7治疗后,三个治疗组的MDA水平均下降(P＜0.05),SOD活性、pNrf2/tNrf2、CAT、NQO1蛋白及NQO1、HO1 mRNA水平均上升(P＜0.05),J+及J-组血糖显著下降(P＜0.05),J+组CAT mRNA水平显著上升(P＜0.05);J+组pNrf2/tNrf2比值明显高于CUR组及J-组(P＜0.05),J+组CAT蛋白水平也明显高于J-组(P＜0.05),其余指标在三个治疗组间不具有显著性差异。光镜下见三个治疗组睾丸形态学病变减轻;免疫组化显示Nrf2蛋白核周表达量上升,CAT蛋白表达水平升高。提示高剂量J7抗糖尿病大鼠睾丸的氧化应激损伤的能力较强。结论: 姜黄素及J7可在一定程度上对抗糖尿病大鼠睾丸的氧化应激损伤,其机制可能与Nrf2-ARE信号通路的激活相关。     

Curcumin and its synthetic analogue dimethoxycurcumin differentially modulates antioxidant status of normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells

Curcumin is a polyphenol derived from the herb Curcuma longa, which has been extensively studied in terms of its antitumour, antioxidant, and chemopreventive activity as well as various other effects. In the present work we compared curcumin with its synthetic analogue dimethoxycurcumin (dimc) in terms of its antioxidant enzyme-modulating effects in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). We found that these compounds modulate antioxidant enzymes differentially. Both curcumin and dimethoxycurcumin effected a decrease in lipid peroxidation status in PBMC, however, curcumin had better activity in this regard. An increase in the activity of catalase was seen in the case of curcumin-treated PBMC, whereas dimc increased catalase activity significantly to almost twofold level. Real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis revealed significant up-regulation of catalase at mRNA level post treatment with curcumin as well as dimc, however, dimc had better activity in this regard. Glutathione reductase (GR) activity and reduced glutathione levels increased in the case of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) treated with curcumin, however, the trend was reversed with dimethoxycurcumin where, both glutathione reductase activity and reduced glutathione levels were significantly reduced. RT-PCR analysis of glutathione reductase mRNA levels showed decrease in mRNA levels post treatment with dimethoxycurcumin (dimc) further corroborating GR enzyme assay results, however, we could not obtain significant result post curcumin treatment. NFkB reporter assay and western blot analysis of nuclear as well as cytosolic fractions of NFkB revealed that curcumin inhibits NFkB activation whereas inhibition was much less with dimc. It has been reported that curcumin and dimc exerts differential cytotoxicity in normal and tumour cells and the reason for this had been attributed to the differential uptake of these compounds by normal cells and tumour cells. Based on our results we propose that differential modulation of antioxidant enzymes via NFkB pathway could be the reason behind differential cytotoxicity of dimc as well as curcumin in normal cells and tumour cells in addition to differential uptake of these compounds as reported previously.     

Curcumin enhances the anti‐cancer effects of Paris Saponin II in lung cancer cells

Objectives

To investigate the synergistic mechanisms of Paris Saponin II (PSII) and Curcumin (CUR) in lung cancer.

Materials and Methods

The combination changed the cellular uptake of CUR and PSII, apoptosis, cell cycle arrest and cytokine levels were analysed on different lung cancer cells.

Results

The combination displayed a synergistic anti‐cancer effect through promoting the cellular uptake of CUR on different lung cancer cells. Hoechst H33258 staining and FACS assay indicated that the combination of PSII and CUR induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Western blot and cytokine antibody microarray suggested that the combination activated death receptors such as DR6, CD40/CD40L, FasL and TNF‐α to induce cancer cells apoptosis, and up‐regulated IGFBP‐1 leading to inhibition of PI3K/Akt pathway and increase of p21 and p27, which therefore induced a G2 phase arrest in NCI‐H446 cells. Meanwhile, the combination suppressed PCNA and NF‐κB pathway in 4 kinds of lung cancer cells. They activated the phosphorylation of p38 and JNK, and inhibited PI3K in NCI‐H460 and NCI‐H446 cells, enhanced the phosphorylation of JNK in NCI‐H1299 cells, and increased the phosphorylation of p38 and ERK, and suppressed PI3K in NCI‐H520 cells.

Conclusions

PSII combined with CUR had a synergistic anti‐cancer effect on lung cancer cells. These findings provided a rationale for using the combination of curcumin and PSII in the treatment of lung cancer in future.

     

Systematical investigation of binding interaction between novel ruthenium(II) arene complex with curcumin analogs and ctDNA

In this study, the interaction between a novel ruthenium(II) arene complex with curcumin analogs and calf thymus DNA (ctDNA) was investigated systematically by viscosity measurement, the DNA melting approach, multispectroscopic techniques and electrochemical methods. The absorption spectra of the ctDNA–drug complex showed a slight red shift and a weak hypochromic effect. The relative viscosity and melting temperature of ctDNA increased on addition of the drug. The evidence obtained from fluorescence competitive experiments indicated that the binding mode of the drug with ctDNA was intercalative. Using acridine orange (AO) as a fluorescence probe, the drug statically quenched the fluorescence of the ctDNA–AO complex, and hydrogen bonding and van der Waals interactions played vital roles in the binding interaction between the drug and ctDNA. The influences of ionic strength, chemical denaturants and pH on the binding interaction were also investigated. Circular dichroism and Fourier transform infrared spectra suggested that this drug might bond with the G–C base pairs of ctDNA and the right‐handed B‐form helicity of ctDNA remained after drug binding. The intercalative binding between the drug and ctDNA was further investigated using electrochemical techniques. All these results suggested that the biological activity of ctDNA was affected by ruthenium(II) arene complex with curcumin analogs. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.