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Curcumin Inhibits Tumor Growth and Angiogenesis in Ovarian Carcinoma by Targeting the Nuclear Factor-B Pathway

Author's Affiliations: ¹ Department of Gynecologic Oncology, ² Cytokine Research Laboratory, Department of Experimental Therapeutics, and ³ Department of Cancer Biology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center; ⁴ Program in Cancer Biology and ⁵ Program in Immunology, University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston, Houston, Texas; and ⁶ Department of Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa

Requests for reprints: Anil K. Sood, Ovarian Cancer Research, Department of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1155 Herman Pressler, Unit 1352, Houston, TX 77030. Phone: 713-745-5266; Fax: 713-792-7586; E-mail: asood{at}mdanderson.org.

Purpose: Curcumin, a component of turmeric, has been shown to suppress inflammation and angiogenesis largely by inhibiting the transcription factor nuclear factor-B (NF-B). This study evaluates the effects of curcumin on ovarian cancer growth using an orthotopic murine model of ovarian cancer.

Experimental Design: In vitro and in vivo experiments of curcumin with and without docetaxel were done using human ovarian cancer cell lines SKOV3ip1, HeyA8, and HeyA8-MDR in athymic mice. NF-B modulation was ascertained using electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Evaluation of angiogenic cytokines, cellular proliferation (proliferating cell nuclear antigen), angiogenesis (CD31), and apoptosis (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase–mediated dUTP nick end labeling) was done using immunohistochemical analyses.

Results: Curcumin inhibited inducible NF-B activation and suppressed proliferation in vitro. In vivo dose-finding experiments revealed that 500 mg/kg orally was the optimal dose needed to suppress NF-B and signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 activation and decrease angiogenic cytokine expression. In the SKOV3ip1 and HeyA8 in vivo models, curcumin alone resulted in 49% (P = 0.08) and 55% (P = 0.01) reductions in mean tumor growth compared with controls, whereas when combined with docetaxel elicited 96% (P < 0.001) and 77% reductions in mean tumor growth compared with controls. In mice with multidrug-resistant HeyA8-MDR tumors, treatment with curcumin alone and combined with docetaxel resulted in significant 47% and 58% reductions in tumor growth, respectively (P = 0.05). In SKOV3ip1 and HeyA8 tumors, curcumin alone and with docetaxel decreased both proliferation (P < 0.001) and microvessel density (P < 0.001) and increased tumor cell apoptosis (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: Based on significant efficacy in preclinical models, curcumin-based therapies may be attractive in patients with ovarian carcinoma.

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