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The inhibitory effect of
Curcuma longa extract on telomerase activity
in A549 lung cancer cell line
Pourhassan Mohammad,
Zarghami Nosratollah*, Rahmati Mohammad, Alibakhshi Abbas
and Ranjbari Javad
Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory
Medicine, Division of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of
Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz,
Iran and Tuberculosis and Lung Research Center, Tabriz
University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
*Corresponding
author. E-mail:
zarghami@tbzmed.ac.ir. Tel.: +98-4113363234. Ext 241.
Fax: +98-4113363231.
Accepted
3 September, 2009 |
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Telomerase
is reactivated in lung cancer cells, the most prevalent
cancer worldwide, but not normal cells. Therefore, targeting
it, preferably with natural compounds derive from medicinal
plant such as curcumin, could have important effect on
treatment of lung cancer. Curcumin, derived from Curcuma
longa rhizome, has many anti-cancer activities.
Therefore, the main objective of current work was to study
inhibitory effect of C. longa total extract on
telomerase in A549 lung cancer cell line as in vitro
model of lung cancer. First, total extract of C.
longa were prepared by n-hexane, methanol and
dichloromethane. Then, cytotoxic effect of n-hexane phase
was studied on A549 lung cancer cell line with 24, 48 and 72
h MTT assays. Finally, after determination of IC50, cells
were treated with n-hexane extract and TRAP (Telomeric
Repeat Amplification Protocol) assay was done to measure
amount of relative telomerase inhibition by the extract.
Data analysis showed that n-hexane extract of C.
longa has dose-dependent cytotoxic effect on A549 lung
cancer cell line with IC50 = 0.23 - 0.28 mg/ml and the
extract inhibits telomerase activity with dose-dependent
manner. In conclusion, n-hexane extract of C.
longa has cytotoxic and telomerase-inhibitory effect on
cell line A549 and could be exploited as potential source
for developing novel drugs against lung cancer.
Key
words:
Telomerase, lung cancer, Curcuma longa, A549 lung
cancer cell line. |
