Synergistic anticancer action of quercetin and curcumin against triple‐negative breast cancer cell lines

• Published in: Journal of cellular physiology 2019-07, Vol.234 (7), p.11103-11118
• Main Authors: Kundur, Sai, Prayag, Amrita, Selvakumar, Priyanga, Nguyen, Hung, McKee, Lloyd, Cruz, Clairissa, Srinivasan, Asha, Shoyele, Sunday, Lakshmikuttyamma, Ashakumary
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetylation; Anticancer properties; Antineoplastic Agents - administration & dosage; Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology; Antitumor activity; Biotechnology; BRCA1 protein; Breast cancer; Cancer; Cell adhesion & migration; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell migration; Cell Movement - drug effects; Cell survival; Cell Survival - drug effects; Combined treatment; Curcumin; Curcumin - administration & dosage; Curcumin - pharmacokinetics; Curcumin - pharmacology; drug resistance; Drug Synergism; EMT markers; Female; flavonoids; Genes; Humans; Mutation; Proteins; Quercetin; Quercetin - administration & dosage; Quercetin - pharmacokinetics; Quercetin - pharmacology; Survival; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms - drug therapy; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms - genetics; triple‐negative breast cancer; Tumor cell lines; Tumor suppressor genes; Tumors
• ISSN: 0021-9541; 1097-4652
• DOI: 10.1002/jcp.27761

Women with the breast cancer type 1 susceptibility protein (BRCA1) mutation and loss of BRCA1 expression are reported to have an increased risk of triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC). Targeting BRCA1 modulation might offer a therapeutic option to treat TNBC patients. Our studies detected that BRCA1 is poorly expressed in TNBC cell lines and highly expressed in ER+ breast cancer cell lines. To modulate BRCA1 expression, we tested two different dietary components to find out if any would induce tumor suppressor genes. We detected that quercetin and curcumin dose‐dependently enhanced the BRCA1 expression. Further, a synergistic action of quercetin and curcumin was observed in modulating the BRCA1 level and in inhibiting the cell survival and migration of TNBC cell lines. Quercetin and curcumin appeared to induce BRCA1 promoter histone acetylation. Furthermore, BRCA1 knockdown induced cell survival and cell migration in ER + cells were significantly decreased by the combined treatment of quercetin and curcumin. Our present study concluded that the combination treatment of quercetin and curcumin acts synergistically to induce anticancer activity against TNBC cells by modulating tumor suppressor genes. Women with the breast cancer type 1 susceptibility protein (BRCA1) mutation and loss of BRCA1 expression are reported to have an increased risk of triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC). We detected that quercetin and curcumin dose‐dependently enhanced BRCA1 expression. Quercetin and curcumin appeared to induce BRCA1 promoter histone acetylation. Our present study concluded that the combination treatment of quercetin and curcumin acts synergistically to induce anticancer activity against TNBC cells by modulating tumor suppressor genes.