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Objective: To identify the effect of curcumin on tumor suppression and the possible molecular pathways involved. Methods: The expression of long noncoding RNA neighbor of BRCA1 lncRNA 2 (NBR2) was quantified using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction on cultured colorectal cancer cells. Next, we used Western blot to measure the activation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase and mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase (mTOR) signaling molecules. Both cell proliferation and viability were measured via MTT assay, and the cell ratio and S phase were detected by BrdU assay. Colorectal cancer cells were pretreated with curcumin or transfected with shNBR2 or adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase inhibitor Compound C to examine the molecular pathway involved. Results: Current data showed that glucose deficiency increased the expression of NBR2 in colorectal cancer cells, and NBR2 knockdown affected the progression of colorectal cancer cells under glucose starvation conditions. When NBR2 was silenced in the treated colorectal cancer cells, the proliferation, the clone formation, and the percentage of S-phase cells suppressed by glucose deprivation were compromised. Furthermore, NBR2 knockdown could suppress glucose deprivation-induced adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase activation plus mTOR inactivation. Similarly, when colorectal cancer cells were treated with curcumin, the expression of NBR2 was significantly increased. NBR2 knockdown reversed curcumin-suppressed proliferation, clone formation, and the percentage of S-phase colorectal cancer cells. Furthermore, NBR2 knockdown abolished curcumin-induced activation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase and inactivation of the mTOR signaling pathway. Conclusion: This study revealed a novel mechanism by which long noncoding RNA NBR2 mediates curcumin suppression of colorectal cancer proliferation by activating adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase and inactivating the mTOR signaling pathway.
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