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Inhibition of intestinal tumors by curcumin is associated with changes in the intestinal immune cell profile
M Churchill1, A Chadburn, R T Bilinski
1Department of Surgery, The New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York, USA.
Background:
The C57BL/6J-Min/+ (Min/+) mouse bears a germline mutation in Apc and is therefore a model for familial adenomatous polyposis and sporadic colorectal cancer. Min/+ intestinal mucosa exhibits a marked tendency for spontaneous adenoma formation. Curcumin is a phenolic antioxidant known for its antitumor and immune modulatory functions in vitro. Curcumin prevents adenoma formation in Min/+ mice, through a mechanism that may be related to its immunomodulatory properties.
Materials And Methods:
To study the relationship between intestinal immunity and curcumin-induced antitumor response, we used immunohistochemistry to characterize the effect of curcumin treatment on resident intestinal immune effector cells in Min/+ mice.
Results/Conclusion:
These results show that mucosal CD4(+) T cells and B cells increase in animals treated with curcumin, suggesting that curcumin modulates lymphocyte-mediated immune functions.