Curcumin enhances the radiosensitivity of U87 cells by inducing DUSP-2 up-regulation

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), an aggressive primary brain tumor, is radioresistant and recurs despite aggressive surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Curcumin as a potential radiosensitizer has received extensive attention in cancer treatment. To explore an effectiveness of this radiosensitizer for GBM treatment, we evaluated the radiosensitizing effect of curcumin and investigated its potential molecular mechanisms in the human glioma cell line U87.

The cytotoxic effects of curcumin on U87 cells were evaluated using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, and the radiosensitivity of U87 cells treated with curcumin was accessed by colony information assay. The effects of curcumin on cell proliferation and cell cycle regulation were determined using the 5-ethynyl-2-deoxyuridine incorporation assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Western blotting was applied to determine the effects of curcumin on protein expression of dual-specificity phosphatase-2 (DUSP-2), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) as well as phosphorylated ERK and JNK.

Curcumin significantly inhibited the proliferation of U87 cells in a dose-and time-dependent manner. Curcumin treatment at the concentrations of 5 µM and 10 M could significantly reduce the clonogenic activity and enhance the radiosensitivity of U87 cells with sensitive enhancement ratios (SERs) of 1.71 and 4.65, respectively. Curcumin resulted in G2/M cell cycle arrest in U87 cells, which were radiosensitive. Pre-treatment of U87-MG cells with 5 µM curcumin enhanced radiation-induced cell proliferation inhibition and apoptosis. Furthermore, we observed that curcumin increased DUSP-2 protein expression and decreased the phosphorylation of ERK and JNK.

Our results suggest that low-dose curcumin may enhance the radiosensitivity of human glioma U87 cells in vitro by inducing G2/M cell cycle arrest through up-regulation of DUSP-2 expression and inhibition of ERK and JNK phosphorylation.