Curcumin exerts anti-tumor effects on diffuse large B cell lymphoma via regulating PPARγ expression

Abstract

Given the highly heterogeneity of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and the diverse demands for proper treatment, many patients would relapse or show resistance to current therapeutic regimens, new treatment options are urgent to be explored. Curcumin harbored anti-tumor potential in various cancers, here, we investigated the possible effects and mechanism of curcumin on human DLBCL in vitro and in vivo, we found that curcumin inhibited cell viability in a concentration and time dependent manner, promoted cell apoptosis and arrested cell cycle at G2 phase, and these effects were mediated by PPARγ promotion and Akt/mTOR pathway inactivation. Furthermore, effects of curcumin on human DLBCL cells could be partly rescued by PPARγ antagonist GW9662, and enhanced by PPARγ agonist rosiglitazone. Taken together, our results demonstrated that curcumin inhibited the proliferation of DLBCL cells by up-regulating the expression of PPARγ, and our results might provide novel therapeutic approaches and a potential target to DLBCL treatment.