Curcumin suppresses the malignant behaviors of breastcancer cellsby upregulating miR-181b

Abstract

Curcumin, a natural compound from Curcuma longa, exerts anti-tumor activity in breast cancer, but the exact mechanism remains unclear. This study, after exposing to curcumin (0, 10, 30, and 60 μM), MTT, CCK-8 assays, and Flow cytometry analyzed human breast cancer cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis. miR-181b and Bcl-2 levels were measured through qRT-PCR, and Western blot analysis of Bcl-2 protein level. Dual-luciferase assay and RIP confirmed interaction between miR-181b and Bcl-2. The results indicated that curcumin inhibited cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Curcumin treatment upregulated miR-181b expression, leading to the downregulation of Bcl-2. The miR-181b inhibitor reversed 30 μM curcumin-mediated proliferation and apoptosis, while elevated miR-181b reduced Bcl-2 levels. Furthermore, silencing both miR-181b and Bcl-2 impaired cell proliferation and enhanced apoptosis compared to silencing only miR-181b in 30 μM curcumin-treated breast cancer. Overall, curcumin suppresses breast cancer progression by upregulating miR-181b and downregulating Bcl-2.