Curcumin inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis by suppressing glycolysis in ERG- overexpressing prostate cancer cells

Abstract Curcumin, the main yellow pigment in turmeric, is a potent anticancer agent. However, its effect on the viability of human prostate cancer cells and its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of curcumin on the proliferation and glucose metabolism of prostate cancer cells. Cell viability was measured by MTS, and apoptosis was measured by Flow cytometry. Glucose metabolism was assessed by measuring glucose intake, lactate production and Adenosine triphosphate content. Western blot was used to detect the expression of apoptosis-related proteins. Curcumin treatment significantly reduced the viability of two types of prostate cancer cells. We also found that curcumin induced apoptosis and glycolysis by inhibiting the activities of PI3K/Akt and HIF-1 α. Further study found that curcumin can reduce the expression of ERG in prostate cancer. This study investigated the effects of curcumin on the proliferation and apoptosis of prostate cancer cells, which may be related to the inhibition of glycolysis, and further explore its pathway. The subsequent effect of oncogene ERG expression suggests that these effects may be related to ERG.