Growth and Proliferation of Renal Cell Carcinoma Cells Is Blocked by Low Curcumin Concentrations Combined with Visible Light Irradiation

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 20; no. 6; p. 1464
• Main Authors: Rutz, Jochen, Maxeiner, Sebastian, Juengel, Eva, Bernd, August, Kippenberger, Stefan, Zöller, Nadja, Chun, Felix K-H, Blaheta, Roman A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 22.03.2019; MDPI
• Subjects: Angiogenesis; Apoptosis; Bladder cancer; Cancer therapies; Caspase-3; Cell cycle; cell cycling; Cell growth; Cell membranes; Cell proliferation; Chemotherapy; Curcumin; Cytotoxicity; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; DNA fragmentation; Epidermal growth factor; Epidermal growth factor receptors; Growth factor receptors; Growth factors; Kidney cancer; Kinases; L-Lactate dehydrogenase; Lactate dehydrogenase; Lactic acid; Light; Light irradiation; Metastases; Proteins; Radiation; renal cell cancer; Renal cell carcinoma; tumor growth; tumor proliferation; tumor proliferation; tumor growth; cell cycling; renal cell cancer; curcumin
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms20061464

The anti-cancer properties of curcumin in vitro have been documented. However, its clinical use is limited due to rapid metabolization. Since irradiation of curcumin has been found to increase its anti-cancer effect on several tumor types, this investigation was designed to determine whether irradiation with visible light may enhance the anti-tumor effects of low-dosed curcumin on renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cell growth and proliferation. A498, Caki1, and KTCTL-26 cells were incubated with curcumin (0.1⁻0.4 µg/mL) and irradiated with 1.65 J/cm² visible light for 5 min. Controls were exposed to curcumin or light alone or remained untreated. Curcumin plus light, but not curcumin or light exposure alone altered growth, proliferation, and apoptosis of all three RCC tumor cell lines. Cells were arrested in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle. Phosphorylated (p) CDK1 and pCDK2, along with their counter-receptors Cyclin B and A decreased, whereas p27 increased. Akt-mTOR-signaling was suppressed, the pro-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 became elevated, and the anti-apoptotic protein Bax diminished. H3 acetylation was elevated when cells were treated with curcumin plus light, pointing to an epigenetic mechanism. The present findings substantiate the potential of combining low curcumin concentrations and light as a new therapeutic concept to increase the efficacy of curcumin in RCC.