Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM: There is no satisfactory treatment of glioblastoma multiforme, a highly invasive brain tumor. The aim of this study was to analyze the cytotoxic effects of curcumin (CUR) alone and as a photosensitizer on glioblastoma cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The SNB-19 cells where incubated for 2 and 24 h with 5-200 mM of CUR. The cells were radiated with blue light (6 J/cm(2)) and compared to non-irradiated ones. The effects of treatment were assessed by measuring mitochondrial activity with the MTT method and apoptosis progression by flow cytometry. To investigate CUR uptake, fluorescence imaging of cells was performed. RESULTS: Photosensitization of CUR decreased the EC(50) 6.3 times when the incubation time was 2 h and over 90% of cells underwent apoptosis. The study of the uptake of CUR showed that during the 2 h, CUR was placed in the entire cytoplasm, and over time, its amount decreased and localized in the subcellular compartments. CONCLUSION: CUR is a promising medicament that can be used as a photosensitizer in photodynamic therapy for glioma treatment.