Curcumin Promotes Connexin 43 Degradation and Temozolomide-Induced Apoptosis in Glioblastoma Cells.

Curcumin Promotes Connexin 43 Degradation and Temozolomide-Induced Apoptosis in Glioblastoma Cells. Am J Chin Med. 2019 Apr 11;:1-18 Authors: Huang BR, Tsai CH, Chen CC, Way TD, Kao JY, Liu YS, Lin HY, Lai SW, Lu DY Abstract Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most commonly occurring tumor in the cerebral hemispheres. Currently, temozolomide (TMZ), an alkylating agent that induces DNA strand breaks, is considered the frontline chemotherapeutic agent for GBM. Despite its frontline status, GBM patients commonly exhibit resistance to TMZ treatment. We have recently established and characterized TMZ-resistant human glioma cells. The aim of this study is to investigate whether curcumin modulates cell apoptosis through the alternation of the connexin 43 (Cx43) protein level in TMZ-resistant GBM. Overexpression of Cx43, but not ATP-binding cassette transporters (ABC transporters), was observed (approximately 2.2-fold) in TMZ-resistant GBM cells compared to the Cx43 levels in parental GBM cells. Furthermore, at a concentration of 10 μ M, curcumin significantly reduced Cx43 protein expression by about 40%. In addition, curcumin did not affect the expression of other connexins like Cx26 or epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) proteins such as β -catenin or α E-catenin. Curcumin treatment led to an increase in TMZ-induced cell apoptosis from 4% to 8%. Importantly, it did not affect the mRNA expression level of Cx43. Concomitant treatment with t...
Source: The American Journal of Chinese Medicine - Category: Complementary Medicine Authors: Tags: Am J Chin Med Source Type: research