Curcumin attenuates gastric cancer induced by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea and saturated sodium chloride in rats

Abstract

To determine effects of curcumin on N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) and saturated sodium chloride (s-NaCl)-induced gastric cancer in rats. Male Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups: control (CO), control supplemented with 200mg/kg curcumin (CC), MNU+s-NaCl, MNU+s-NaCl supplemented with 200mg/kg curcumin daily for the first 3 weeks (MNU+s-NaCl+C3W), and MNU+s-NaCl supplemented with curcumin for 20 weeks (MNU+s-NaCl+C20W). To induce stomach cancer, rats except for CO and CC were orally treated with 100mg/kg MNU on day 0 and 14, and s-NaCl twice-a-week for the first 3 weeks. The experiment was finished and rats were sacrificed at the end of 20 weeks. Cancers were found in forestomachs of all rats in MNU+s-NaCl. The expressions of phosphorylated inhibitor kappaB alpha (phospho-IB), 8-hydroxy-2()-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and cyclin D1 significantly increased in MNU+s-NaCl compared with CO. Curcumin treatments for 3 and 20 weeks reduced the cancer incidence resulting in a decrease of phospho-IB expression in benign tumor-bearing rats compared with MNU+s-NaCl. Curcumin treatment for 20 weeks also decreased 8-OHdG expression in benign tumor-bearing rats compared with MNU+s-NaCl. Curcumin can attenuate cancer via a reduction of phospho-IB and 8-OHdG expressions, which may play a promising role in gastric carcinogenesis. Copyright © 2012 Kawiya Sintara et al.