curcumin and resorufin

The development of oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) shows a positive correlation with the carcinogen exposure that occurs during tobacco and alcohol use. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the naturally occurring chemopreventive agent, curcumin, modulates expression and function of carcinogen- metabolizing enzymes in human keratinocytes isolated from oral SCC tumors. Dose-response studies demonstrated that curcumin concentrations of >or=25 micro M were cytotoxic for oral SCC cells. Curcumin increased both expression (reverse transcription-PCR analyses) and function (high-performance liquid chromatography determination of ethoxyresorufin metabolism) of cytochrome P-450 (CYP) 1A1 and/or CYP1B1. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), which up-regulates a battery of genes associated with carcinogen metabolism, is activated by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons such as the tobacco-associated carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene. Electromobility shift assays demonstrated that similar to the established AhR ligand 2,3,7,8,-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, curcumin inclusion resulted in AhR nuclear translocation and formation of the transcriptionally active AhR-aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator complex. Cellular capacity to bioactivate the tobacco-associated carcinogen (-)-benzo(a)pyrene-7R-trans-7,8-dihydrodiodiol was determined by evaluating conversion of the carcinogenic metabolite diol epoxide to stable tetrols via high-performance liquid chromatography. Results of our metabolism studies showed that curcumin significantly inhibited CYP1A1-mediated benzo(a)pyrene diol bioactivation in both oral SCC cells and intact oral mucosa. Because CYP1A1 is one of the primary carcinogen-activating enzymes in oral mucosa, the use of curcumin as an oral cavity chemopreventive agent could have significant clinical impact via its ability to inhibit carcinogen bioactivation.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Antineoplastic Agents; Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases; Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Nuclear Translocator; Biotransformation; Carcinogens; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Cell Division; Cell Survival; Curcumin; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1B1; Dihydroxydihydrobenzopyrenes; DNA-Binding Proteins; Glutathione; Humans; Keratinocytes; Male; Middle Aged; Mouth Mucosa; Mouth Neoplasms; Oxazines; Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon; Transcription Factors; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Turmeric and/or its main coloring component, curcumin (diferuloylmethane), have been shown to inhibit benzo(a)pyrene [B(a)P]-induced forestomach papillomas in mice. However, the mechanisms of turmeric-mediated chemoprevention are not well understood. To study the mechanisms of turmeric-mediated chemoprevention, we investigated the effects of turmeric feeding on the activities of isozymes of cytochrome P-450 (CYP450)--namely, ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD, CYP1A1) and methoxyresorufin O-demethylase (MROD, CYP1A2)--which are predominantly involved in the metabolism of B(a)P. We determined the activities of EROD and MROD by monitoring the formation of resorufin from respective substrates in the presence of microsomal proteins obtained from tissues of control, 1% turmeric, 1 mg B(a)P, and 1% turmeric + 1 mg B(a)P-fed Swiss mice. The results indicate that the administration of turmeric through diet significantly inhibited the activities of both EROD and MROD in forestomach (target organ), liver, and lung. In vitro studies employing curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bis-demethoxycurcumin suggest that curcumins are the inhibitors in turmeric. Inhibition of B(a)P metabolizing phase I enzymes (EROD, MROD) may be at least in part one of the possible modes of chemopreventive action of turmeric/curcumin.

Topics: Animals; Benzo(a)pyrene; Curcumin; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; Male; Mice; Oxazines; Oxidoreductases