TY - JOUR
T1 - Apoptosis-like, reversible changes in plasma membrane asymmetry and permeability, and transient modifications in mitochondrial membrane potential induced by curcumin in rat thymocytes
AU - Jaruga, Ewa
AU - Salvioli, Stefano
AU - Dobrucki, Jurek
AU - Chrul, Sławomir
AU - Bandorowicz-Pikuła, Joanna
AU - Sikora, Ewa
AU - Franceschi, Claudio
AU - Cossarizza, Andrea
AU - Bartosz, Grzegorz
PY - 1998/8/21
Y1 - 1998/8/21
N2 - Curcumin (diferuoylmethane) is a natural compound with anticarcinogenic activities which is able to exert either proapoptotic or antiapoptotic effects in different cell types. This paper focuses on the sequence and extent of primary events induced by curcumin, in comparison with those occurring during dexamethasone-induced apoptosis in rat thymocytes. It also presents annexin VI-FITC as a new probe for studying membrane asymmetry. Curcumin readily penetrates into the cytoplasm, and is able to accumulate in membranous structures such as plasma membrane, endoplasmic reticulum and nuclear envelope. Curcumin-treated cells exhibit typical features of apoptotic cell death, including shrinkage, transient phosphatidylserine exposure, increased membrane permeability and decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential. However, nuclei morphology, DNA fragmentation, the extent and time-course of membrane changes are different from those observed during dexamethasone-induced apoptosis, suggesting that, despite many similarities, the mode of action and the events triggered by curcumin are different from those occurring during typical apoptosis.
AB - Curcumin (diferuoylmethane) is a natural compound with anticarcinogenic activities which is able to exert either proapoptotic or antiapoptotic effects in different cell types. This paper focuses on the sequence and extent of primary events induced by curcumin, in comparison with those occurring during dexamethasone-induced apoptosis in rat thymocytes. It also presents annexin VI-FITC as a new probe for studying membrane asymmetry. Curcumin readily penetrates into the cytoplasm, and is able to accumulate in membranous structures such as plasma membrane, endoplasmic reticulum and nuclear envelope. Curcumin-treated cells exhibit typical features of apoptotic cell death, including shrinkage, transient phosphatidylserine exposure, increased membrane permeability and decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential. However, nuclei morphology, DNA fragmentation, the extent and time-course of membrane changes are different from those observed during dexamethasone-induced apoptosis, suggesting that, despite many similarities, the mode of action and the events triggered by curcumin are different from those occurring during typical apoptosis.
KW - Apoptosis
KW - Curcumin
KW - Membrane asymmetry
KW - Mitochondrial membrane potential
KW - Permeability
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M3 - Article
C2 - 9744813
AN - SCOPUS:0032555342
VL - 433
SP - 287
EP - 293
JO - FEBS Letters
JF - FEBS Letters
SN - 0014-5793
IS - 3
ER -