Side Effects of Curcumin: Epigenetic and Antiproliferative Implications for Normal Dermal Fibroblast and Breast Cancer Cells

Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche Specialistiche ed Odontostomatologiche-Sez. Biochimica, Biologia e Fisica, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy

Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, 60131 Ancona, Italy

Dipartimento S.I.M.A.U., Università Politecnica delle Marche, via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Antioxidants 2019, 8(9), 382; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox8090382

Received: 15 July 2019 / Revised: 30 August 2019 / Accepted: 4 September 2019 / Published: 9 September 2019

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dietary Antioxidants: Micronutrients and Antinutrients in Physiology and Pathology)

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Abstract

Background: Curcumin is a yellow-orange pigment obtained from the plant Curcuma longa, which is known to exert beneficial effects in several diseases, including cancer. However, at high doses, it may produce toxic and carcinogenic effects in normal cells. In this context, we studied the effects of curcumin on normal human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cells and breast cancer cells (MCF7). Methods: We used cellular viability and growth assays to evaluate the antiproliferative action of curcumin, analyzed the endogenous glutathione levels, conducted cell cycle, apoptosis, and necrosis analyses, and performed immunodetection of glutathionylated and acetylated H3 histones. Results: We found that HDFs are more sensitive to curcumin treatment than MCF7 cells, resulting in pronounced arrest of cell cycle progression and higher levels of cellular death. In both cell types, the homeostasis of the redox cellular environment did not change after curcumin treatment; however, significant differences were observed in glutathione (GSH) levels and in S-glutathionylation of H3 histones. Conclusion: Curcumin administration can potentially confer benefits, but high doses may be toxic. Thus, its use as a dietary supplement or in cancer therapies has a double edge. View Full-Text

Keywords: curcumin; glutathione; post-translational modifications (PTMs); histone glutathionylation; human cancer cells

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MDPI and ACS Style

Cianfruglia, L.; Minnelli, C.; Laudadio, E.; Scirè, A.; Armeni, T. Side Effects of Curcumin: Epigenetic and Antiproliferative Implications for Normal Dermal Fibroblast and Breast Cancer Cells. Antioxidants 2019, 8, 382. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox8090382

AMA Style

Cianfruglia L, Minnelli C, Laudadio E, Scirè A, Armeni T. Side Effects of Curcumin: Epigenetic and Antiproliferative Implications for Normal Dermal Fibroblast and Breast Cancer Cells. Antioxidants. 2019; 8(9):382. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox8090382

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cianfruglia, Laura, Cristina Minnelli, Emiliano Laudadio, Andrea Scirè, and Tatiana Armeni. 2019. "Side Effects of Curcumin: Epigenetic and Antiproliferative Implications for Normal Dermal Fibroblast and Breast Cancer Cells" Antioxidants 8, no. 9: 382. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox8090382

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Side Effects of Curcumin: Epigenetic and Antiproliferative Implications for Normal Dermal Fibroblast and Breast Cancer Cells

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