Quantitative cellular uptake, localization and cytotoxicity of curcumin in normal and tumor cells

• Published in: Biochimica et biophysica acta Vol. 1780; no. 4; pp. 673 - 679
• Main Authors: Kunwar, A., Barik, A., Mishra, B., Rathinasamy, K., Pandey, R., Priyadarsini, K.I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.04.2008
• Subjects: Animals; Biological Transport; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Membrane - metabolism; Cell Nucleus - metabolism; Cell Survival - drug effects; Cells, Cultured; Cellular uptake; Curcuma - chemistry; Curcumin; Curcumin - metabolism; Curcumin - pharmacokinetics; Curcumin - pharmacology; Cytotoxicity; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Fluorescence; Humans; Lymphocytes - cytology; Lymphocytes - drug effects; Lymphocytes - metabolism; Mice; Microscopy, Confocal; NIH 3T3 Cells; Nuclear localization; Spectrometry, Fluorescence; Time Factors; Tumor cell; Fluorescence; Cytotoxicity; Cellular uptake; Curcumin; Nuclear localization; Tumor cell
• ISSN: 0304-4165; 0006-3002; 1872-8006
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2007.11.016

Using absorption and fluorescence spectroscopic methods, quantitative cellular uptake of curcumin, an antioxidant and anti-tumor agent from Curcuma longa, was calculated in two types of normal cells: spleen lymphocytes, and NIH3T3 and two tumor cell lines: EL4 and MCF7. Both the uptake and fluorescence intensity of curcumin were significantly higher in tumor cells compared to the normal cells. A linear dependency on the uptake was observed with treatment concentration of curcumin. Using laser confocal microscopy, intracellular localization of curcumin was monitored and the results indicated that curcumin is located both in the cell membrane and the nucleus. Sub-cellular fractionation of curcumin-loaded MCF7 cells supported the differential distribution of curcumin in membrane, cytoplasm and nuclear compartments of cell with maximum localization in the membrane. Cytotoxicity studies in different cell lines indicated that the toxicity of curcumin increased with increasing uptake.