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The effects of topical administration of curcumin on the formation of benzoapyrene (BaP)-DNA adducts and the tumorigenic activities of BaP and 7,12-dimethylbenzaanthracene (DMBA) in epidermis were evaluated in female CD-1 mice. Topical application of 3 or 10 mumol curcumin 5 min prior to the application of 20 nmol 3HBaP inhibited the formation of 3HBaP-DNA adducts in epidermis by 39 or 61% respectively. In a two-stage skin tumorigenesis model, topical application of 20 nmol BaP to the backs of mice once weekly for 10 weeks followed a week later by promotion with 15 nmol 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) twice weekly for 21 weeks resulted in the formation of 7.1 skin tumors per mouse, and 100% of the mice had tumors. In a parallel group of mice, in which the animals were treated with 3 or 10 mumol curcumin 5 min prior to each application of BaP, the number of tumors per mouse was decreased by 58 or 62% respectively. The percentage of tumor-bearing mice was decreased by 18-25%. In an additional study, topical application of 3 or 10 mumol curcumin 5 min prior to each application of 2 nmol DMBA once weekly for 10 weeks followed a week later by promotion with 15 nmol TPA twice weekly for 15 weeks decreased the number of tumors per mouse by 37 or 41% respectively.
Huang et al. (Wed,) studied this question.