目的研究姜黄素对食管癌耐药细胞的作用及作为食管癌多药耐药逆转剂的可能性。方法采用20、40、80μmol/L姜黄素作用体外培养Eca-109/Taxol细胞及Eca-109细胞,倒置显微镜观察姜黄素对Eca-109/Taxol细胞作用的形态变化,CCK-8法检测姜黄素对两种细胞的增殖抑制率并计算姜黄素的逆转效应。流式细胞术检测姜黄素对Eca-109/Taxol细胞的凋亡率及测定罗丹明123在癌细胞内的蓄积。采用全自动酶标仪检测Caspase-3活性、免疫细胞化学法检测P-gp在癌细胞中的表达。结果 Eca-109/Taxol细胞经不同浓度姜黄素作用后,细胞生长变慢、细胞变圆,部分细胞悬浮于培养液中。随着姜黄素浓度的增高,对Eca-109/Taxol细胞生长抑制作用逐渐增强。姜黄素对Eca-109/Taxol细胞具有明显的耐药逆转作用,10μmol/L姜黄素逆转2.50倍,40μmol/L姜黄素逆转6.83倍,且在一定浓度范围内呈剂量依赖性。姜黄素与低浓度Taxol联合应用,可使Eca-109/Taxol细胞中Caspase-3活力提高。流式细胞仪检测显示,随姜黄素浓度的增加,癌细胞的凋亡率逐步增高,20μmol/L姜黄素作用24 h后凋亡率为(13.6±1.3)%,80μmol/L姜黄素凋亡率为(43.5±1.6)%,组间比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01),同时可使Eca-109/Taxol细胞内Rho123的蓄积增高(P<0.01);20μmol/L姜黄素对Eca-109/Taxol细胞作用24 h可明显抑制P-gp在Eca-109/Taxol细胞中的表达。结论姜黄素对Eca-109/Taxol细胞生长具有抑制作用,可以较强地逆转癌细胞对Taxol耐药性,可能是食管癌临床化疗中较好的耐药逆转药物。 Objective To study the effect of curcumin on esophageal cancer cells and its possibility of acting as a multidrug resistance reversal agent in esophageal cancer. Methods Eca-109 / Taxol cells and Eca-109 cells were cultured in vitro with curcumin at 20, 40 and 80μmol / L. The morphological changes of Eca-109 / Taxol cells were observed under inverted microscope. Inhibition of proliferation of both cells and calculated the reversal effect of curcumin. The apoptosis rate of curcumin on Eca-109 / Taxol cells was detected by flow cytometry and the accumulation of rhodamine 123 in cancer cells was determined. The activity of Caspase-3 was detected by automatic microplate reader and the expression of P-gp in cancer cells was detected by immunocytochemistry. Results After Eca-109 / Taxol cells were treated with different concentrations of curcumin, the cells grew slowly, the cells became round, and some cells were suspended in culture medium. With the increase of curcumin concentration, the inhibitory effect on the growth of Eca-109 / Taxol cells gradually increased. Curcumin had a significant reversal of drug resistance in Eca-109 / Taxol cells, with a reversal of 2.50 folds of 10 μmol / L curcumin and a 6.83 fold reversal of 40 μmol / L curcumin in a dose-dependent manner. Curcumin combined with low concentration of Taxol can enhance the activity of Caspase-3 in Eca-109 / Taxol cells. Flow cytometry showed that with the increase of curcumin, the apoptosis rate of cancer cells gradually increased. The apoptotic rates of curcumin treated with 20 μmol / L curcumin for 24 h were (13.6 ± 1.3)% and curcumin (80 μmol / L) (43.5 ± 1.6)%, there was a significant difference between the two groups (P <0.01), and at the same time, the accumulation of Rho123 in Eca-109 / Taxol cells increased (P <0.01) Eca-109 / Taxol cells for 24 h significantly inhibited the expression of P-gp in Eca-109 / Taxol cells. Conclusion Curcumin has an inhibitory effect on the growth of Eca-109 / Taxol cells and can reverse the resistance of Taxol to cancer cells. It may be a good drug reversal drug in clinical chemotherapy of esophageal cancer.