Curcumin Inhibits Proliferation of Epstein–Barr Virus-Associated Human Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells by Inhibiting EBV Nuclear Antigen 1 Expression

Abstract EN

This investigation aims to study the effect of curcumin on the proliferation, cycle arrest, and apoptosis of Epstein–Barr virus- (EBV-) positive nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells.

EBV+ NPC cells were subjected to curcumin treatment.

The cell viability was evaluated with the CCK-8.

Cell cycle and apoptosis were analyzed by flow cytometry analysis.

Expression (protein and mRNA) levels were detected with western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR, respectively.

Curcumin efficiently reduced the viability of EBV+ NPC cells.

Curcumin induced the cycle arrest of the HONE1 and HK1-EBV cells positive for EBV.

Moreover, curcumin treatment promoted the NPC cell apoptosis, via the mitochondria- and death receptor-mediated pathways.

Furthermore, curcumin decreased the expression of EBNA1 in the HONE1 and HK1-EBV cells and inhibited the transcriptional level of EBNA1 in the HeLa cells.

Curcumin induced EBNA1 degradation via the proteasome-ubiquitin pathway.

In addition, curcumin inhibited the proliferation of HONE1 and HK1-EBV cells positive for EBV, probably by decreasing the expression level of EBNA1.

In both the HONE1 and HK1-EBV cells, curcumin inhibited the EBV latent and lytic replication.

Curcumin could reduce the EBNA1 expression and exert antitumor effects against NPC in vitro.