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Inhibitory effect of curcumin on invasion of skin squamous cell carcinoma A431 cells
Jian Wu1, Wen-Ying Lu, Lei-Lei Cui
1Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First People's Hospital of Yancheng City, Yancheng, Jiangsu, China E-mail : piaoxue198271@sina.com, 78120009@qq.com.
Objective:
To investigate the regulatory effect of curcumin on expression of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in skin squamous cell carcinoma tissues as well as possible mechanisms of curcumin in prevention and treatment of skin squamous cell carcinoma.
Materials And Methods:
Highly invasive A431 cells were treated with curcumin at various doses .The cytotoxic effects of treatment with 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 50 umol/L curcumin for 24, 48 and 72 hours on A431 cells were measured by MTT assay. The invasion capacity of cells treated with 5, 10 and 15 umol/L curcumin was measured by Transwell test, while adhesive ability was assessed by cell adhesion assay. The effects of 5,10 and 15 umol/L curcumin on expression levels of STAT3 were determined by Western blotting and on transcription levels of STAT3 mRNA by RT-PCR.
Results:
Treatment with curcumin at a doses of more than 15 umol/L for more than 24 hour inhibited the growth of A431 cells in a time-and dose-dependent fashion (p<0.001). The doses of 15 umol/L and less for 24 hours showed no significant cytotoxic effects on the cells, survival rates being more than 85%.The invasion and adhesive abilities decreased gradually with the increasing curcumin concentration, 15 umol/L exerting the strongest inhibitory effects (p<0.05). Curcumin showed significant dose-dependent inhibitory effects on the transcription level of STAT3 mRNA (p<0.05).
Conclusions:
Curcumin may reduce the invasive ability of A431 cells by inhibiting the activation of STAT3 signal pathway and expression of STAT3 as a target gene in the pathway.
Insights
Curcumin effectively inhibits skin squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) growth and invasion by downregulating signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) expression. This study highlights curcumin
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Natural Products Chemistry
Background:
- Skin squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a prevalent malignancy.
- Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is implicated in SCC development and progression.
- Curcumin, a natural compound, exhibits potential anti-cancer properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate curcumin's regulatory effect on STAT3 expression in SCC.
- To elucidate the mechanisms of curcumin in SCC prevention and treatment.
Main Methods:
- A431 SCC cells were treated with varying curcumin concentrations.
- Cytotoxicity assessed via MTT assay.
- Invasion, adhesion, STAT3 protein, and mRNA levels evaluated using Transwell, cell adhesion assays, Western blotting, and RT-PCR, respectively.
Main Results:
- Curcumin inhibited A431 cell growth in a time- and dose-dependent manner (p<0.001).
- Curcumin reduced cell invasion and adhesion, with 15 umol/L showing the strongest effect (p<0.05).
- Curcumin significantly inhibited STAT3 mRNA transcription in a dose-dependent manner (p<0.05).
Conclusions:
- Curcumin suppresses SCC cell invasion by inhibiting the STAT3 signaling pathway.
- Curcumin acts as a potential therapeutic agent for SCC by targeting STAT3.
