Figure 2. Curcumin inhibits stearic acid–mediated induction of proinflammatory mediators in THP-1 cells.
A, THP-1 cells were transfected with 1.8 μg NF-κB-luciferase and 0.2 μg pSVβgal. Cells were then treated with vehicle or the indicated concentration of curcumin for 2 hours. Subsequently, the cells received vehicle or 10 μmol/L stearic acid for 24 hours. Luciferase activity represents data that have been normalized to β-galactosidase. B-E, THP-1 cells were treated with vehicle or the indicated concentration of curcumin for 2 hours. Subsequently, the cells received vehicle or 10 μmol/L stearic acid for 24 hours. Enzyme immunoassay was used to measure TNF-α (B), IL-1β (C) and PGE2 (E) in the conditioned medium. Western blot analysis was used to determine levels of COX-2 protein (D). F and G, Preadipocytes were incubated for 24 hours with conditioned medium from THP-1 cells that had been treated with vehicle, stearic acid (10 μmol/L) or stearic acid plus the indicated concentration of curcumin. F, real-time PCR was used to quantify aromatase mRNA; G, aromatase activity was measured in a microsomal preparation and is expressed as femtomoles/μg protein/minute. Columns, means (n=6); bars, SD. *P < 0.01.
