Document Type : Original Article
Author
Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
Abstract
Background and Aims: Curcumin, a natural polyphenolic compound from Curcuma longa, exhibits anti-cancer properties by modulating miRNAs and targeting pathways like PI3K/Akt and angiogenesis. This study investigates the effects of curcumin on the expression of miR-21-5p, miR-210-3p, miR-126-3p, and miR-214-3p in HPV-16-positive CaSki cervical cancer cells, and their correlations with PTEN and VEGF.
Methods: CaSki cells were cultured and treated with curcumin at a sub-IC50 concentration (80 μM) for 48 hours, determined via MTT assay (IC50 = 96 μM). Total RNA was extracted using TRIzol, and qRT-PCR was used to assess PTEN, VEGF (normalized to GAPDH), and miRNA expression (normalized to U6). Data from nine biological replicates per group were analyzed using Welch’s t-test for comparisons and Pearson’s correlation for relationships.
Results: Curcumin significantly upregulated PTEN (1.861 ± SD, p=0.004; ~3.6-fold) and downregulated VEGF (-2.137 ± SD, p=0.006; ~0.23-fold). miRNA modulation included a trend toward miR-21-5p downregulation (-1.024 ± SD, p=0.057; ~0.48-fold), no change in miR-210-3p (p=0.344), and upregulation of miR-126-3p (1.674 ± SD, p=0.003; ~3.2-fold) and miR-214-3p (1.669 ± SD, p=0.019; ~3.2-fold). Correlations revealed miR-21-5p negatively associated with PTEN (r=-0.51, p=0.03) and positively with VEGF (r=0.57, p=0.01); miR-126-3p positively with PTEN (r=0.41, p=0.09) and negatively with VEGF (r=-0.49, p=0.03); miR-214-3p negatively with PTEN (r=-0.36, p=0.14).
Conclusions: Curcumin epigenetically modulates miRNAs in CaSki cells, enhancing PTEN and suppressing VEGF through regulatory networks involving miR-21-5p and miR-126-3p. These findings elucidate curcumin's anti-cancer mechanisms and support its potential as an adjunctive therapy for cervical cancer, warranting further in vivo validation.
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