OBJECTIVETo study the anticancer effect and mechanism of curcumin on Raji cells in vitro and compared the cytotoxicities of curcumin on Raji cells and normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC).

METHODSThe effects of curcumin on proliferation of Raji cells and human PBMC were tested by MTT assay, its effects on apoptosis of them were determined by Annexin-V/PI double-labeled cytometry and TUNEL, and its effects on DNA distribution in Raji cells was studied by PI single labeled cytometry.

RESULTSCurcumin showed marked inhibition on proliferation of Raji cell, could induce Raji cell apoptosis in time- and dose-dependent manner. After curcumin treatment, the cell cycle of Raji cells was blocked in G0/G1 and G2/M phase and those in the S phase decreased proportionally. But curcumin showed no significant effect on inhibiting proliferation or inducing apoptosis on human PBMC.

CONCLUSIONCurcumin could regulate the cell cycle of Raji cells and induce its apoptosis, so as to inhibit its proliferation, but with no significant cytotoxicity on human PBMC. It selectively affects the tumor cell.