Curcumin suppresses gastric cancer biological activity by regulation of miRNA-21: an in vitro study

Int J Clin Exp Pathol. 2018 Dec 1;11(12):5820-5829. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to explain the effects of curcumin to depress gastric cancer biological activity by regulation miRNA-21 an in in vitro study.

Methods: Collecting 30 pairs of adjacent and cancer tissues to measure miRNA-21 expression by ISH, evaluating pathology by H&E staining and measuring PTEN protein expression by IHC. Evaluating curcumin anti-tumor and correlation between curcumin and miRNA-21 in gastric cancer cell line (AGS) biological activities by CCK-8, flow cytometry, transwell, scratch test, transmission electron microscope, and western blot.

Results: Compared with adjacent normal tissues, the miRNA-21 and PTEN expressions of gastric cancer tissues were significantly different (P < 0.001, respectively). By cell experiments, compared with NC group, the AGS cell proliferation was significantly depressed with significantly increasing cell apoptosis by keeping cell cycle in G1 phase (P < 0.001, respectively), and AGS cell invasion and migration were significantly down-regulated (P < 0.001, respectively) in Cur and Cur+BL groups. However, with miRNA-21 supplementation, the AGS cell biological activities were significantly recovered (P < 0.001, respectively). By western blot, compared with the NC group, the PTEN and P21 proteins expressions were significantly up-regulated (P < 0.001, respectively) and the PI3K, AKT, MMP-2 and MMP-9 proteins expressions were significantly down-regulated (P < 0.001, respectively). PTEN, PI3K, AKT, P21, MMP-2 and MMP-9 proteins were significantly decreased with miRNA-21 supplementation (P < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion: Curcumin had anti-tumor effects to gastric cancer via ion of miRNA-21 by regulation of the PTEN/PI3K/AKT pathway.

Keywords: AKT; Curcumin; MMP-2; MMP-9; P21; PI3K; PTEN; gastric cancer; miRNA-21.