Effect of curcumin on growth and apopotosis in human multiple myeloma cells.

Curcumin inhibits the growth of human multiple myeloma cells and induces apoptosis. (A) U266 cells (5000/0.1 mL) were incubated with different concentrations of curcumin for 24 hours, and cell proliferation assay was performed as described in “Materials and methods.” Results are shown as means (± SDs) percentage of [³H]-thymidine incorporation of triplicate cultures compared with the untreated control. (B) U266 cells (5000/0.1 mL) were incubated with different concentrations of curcumin for 24 hours, and cell viability was determined by the MTT method, as described in “Materials and methods.” The results are shown as the means (± SDs) percentage viability from triplicate cultures. (C) Flow cytometric analysis of annexin V–FITC–stained cells after treatment with different concentrations of curcumin. U266 cells were incubated alone or with the indicated concentrations of curcumin for 24 hours; thereafter, cells were either left unstained (left panels) or stained with annexin V–FITC (right panels). Unstained cells exhibited autofluorescence because of curcumin.