[Effect of curcumol on proliferation and apoptosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line CNE-2].

AIM: To investigate the effect of curcumol on the proliferation, apoptosis and the expression NF-κB in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line CNE-2. METHODS: CNE-2 cells were treated with curcumol at different concentration(12.5, 25, 50, 100 mg/L) and the control group; the effect of proliferation was detected by MTT method; the apoptosis was analyzed by hoechst 33342 flourescence staning and flow cytometry; the expression of NF-κB was detected with western blotting. RESULTS: After treated with curcumol, CNE-2 cell's proliferation was significantly reduced (P<0.01) and its apoptosis was increased as the curcumol concentration rising, the apoptosis of 100 mg/L curcumol group even can reach to 45.5% and it was a significantly difference compared with control group (P<0.01); the expression of NF-κB was down regulated as raising the curcumol concentration, there was a significantly difference compared with control group (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Curcumol is capable of significantly inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis of CNE-2' cells in vitro, the mechanism of curcumol anti-tumor may be related to the down regulated of the NF-κB protein level.