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Planta Med 2009; 75(8): 808-813
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1185399
Pharmacology
Original Paper
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Cytoskeleton Disorganization during Apoptosis Induced by Curcumin in A549 Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells

Qingyong Chen1 , 2 , Guohua Lu1 , Yanyi Wang3 , Yingke Xu4 , Ying Zheng2 , Li Yan2 , Zhongyong Jiang2 , Ling Yang2 , Jianwei Zhan2 , Yuquan Wu2 , Jianying Zhou1
  • 1Department of Respiratory Disease, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hang Zhou, P. R. China
  • 2Department of Respiratory Disease, The 117th Hospital of PLA, Hang Zhou, P. R. China
  • 3College of Life Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang, P. R. China
  • 4Department of Biomedical Engineering, Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P. R. China
Further Information

Publication History

received August 8, 2008 revised Dec. 29, 2008

accepted January 20, 2009

Publication Date:
05 March 2009 (online)

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Abstract

Several studies have shown that curcumin can induce apoptosis and inhibit growth in human A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells. However, the mechanism is not completely understood yet. In the present study, we investigated the in vitro effect of curcumin on cell viability, apoptosis and disorganization of the actin cytoskeleton in A549 cells. Our results showed that curcumin significantly inhibited the viability of A549 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner by induced apoptosis. The apoptotic process was associated with a disorganization of the architecture of actin microfilaments and a decrease in the levels of F-actin. DMSO-treated control cells exhibited a well-defined F-actin network that was mainly organized into stress fibers. The actin fibers in cells treated with curcumin or the positive control drug cytochalasin B were disorganized, disassembled, or disrupted, however, the disorganization of actin fibers and apoptosis could be prevented by phalloidin, an F-actin stabilizing compound. Thus, these results demonstrated that actin filament disorganization might play a central role in the curcumin-induced apoptosis of A549 cells.

Key words

curcumin - apoptosis - actin cytoskeleton - lung cancer

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Dr. Jianying Zhou

Department of Respiratory Disease
First Affiliated Hospital
College of Medicine
Zhejiang University

Hang Zhou 310003

People's Republic of China

Phone: + 86 5 71 87 23 68 76

Fax: + 86 5 71 87 23 68 76

Email: DrZJY@163.com