Abstract:Objective:To observe the effects of curcumin regulating Yes- associated protein 1 (YAP1) on the Warburg effect of endometrial carcinoma glycolysis and on biological behaviors. Methods: The HEC- 1B cells were divided into the control group, the NC- YAP1 group, the si- YAP1 group, and the low- dose, medium- dose and high- dose of curcumin groups. The control group was not given any treatment; the NC- YAP1 group was transfected with NC- YAP1 plasmid; the si- YAP1 group was transfected with si-YAP1 plasmid,and the low-dose,medium-dose and high-dose of curcumin groups were respectively treated with 20,40 and 80 μmol/L curcumin. The consumption of glucose by cells and the lactic acid content in each group were detected by kits;the reproductive capacity of cells in each group was detected by the CCK- 8 method; the cell cycle and apoptosis in each group were detected by flow cytometry;the cell migration ability in each group was detected by scratch test,and the cell invasion ability in each group was detected by Transwell method. The protein expressions of YAP1, lactate dehydrogenase- A (LDH- A), hexokinase 2 (HK2) and pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) were detected by the Western blot method. Results: There was no significance being found in the comparisons of protein expression levels of YAP1,lactic acid content,consumption of glucose,protein levels of LDH- A,HK2 and PKM2,activity and inhibition rates of cell proliferation,ratios of G0/G1 phase and S phase,apoptosis rates, scratch healing rates, and inhibition rates of cell invasion between the NC- YAP1 group and the control group (P>0.05). Compared with those in the control group,the protein expression levels of YAP1, consumption of glucose, lactic acid content, protein levels of LDH- A, HK2 and PKM2, activity of cell proliferation,ratios of S phase and scratch healing rates in the si-YAP1 group and the low-dose,mediumdose and high- dose of curcumin groups were decreased (P<0.05), and the inhibition rates of cell proliferation,ratios of G0/G1 phase,apoptosis rates and inhibition rates of cell invasion were increased (P< 0.05). Compared with those in the NC-YAP1 group,the protein expression levels of YAP1,consumption of glucose, lactic acid content, protein levels of LDH- A, HK2 and PKM2, activity of cell proliferation, ratios of S phase and scratch healing rates in the si- YAP1 group and the low- dose,medium- dose and high- dose of curcumin groups were decreased (P<0.05), and the inhibition rates of cell proliferation, ratios of G0/G1 phase,apoptosis rates and inhibition rates of cell invasion were increased (P<0.05);the above indexes in the low- dose, medium- dose and high- dose groups showed dose- dependence (P< 0.05). Compared with that in the si- YAP1 group,the protein expression levels of YAP1 in the low- dose and medium-dose of curcumin groups were increased (P<0.05);there was no significance being found in the comparison of protein expression level of YAP1 between the si- YAP1 group and the high- dose of curcumin group (P>0.05). The consumption of glucose,lactic acid content,protein levels of LDH-A,HK2 and PKM2, activity of cell proliferation, ratio of S phase and scratch healing rate in the low- dose of curcumin group were increased (P<0.05), and the inhibition rate of cell proliferation, ratio of G0/G1 phase, apoptosis rate and inhibition rate of cell invasion were decreased (P<0.05). The consumption of glucose,lactic acid content,protein levels of LDH-A,HK2 and PKM2,activity of cell proliferation,ratio of S phase and scratch healing rate in the high-dose of curcumin group were decreased (P<0.05),and the inhibition rate of cell proliferation,ratio of G0/G1 phase,apoptosis rate and inhibition rate of cell invasion were increased (P<0.05). There was no significant difference being found in the comparisons of lactic acid content,consumption of glucose,protein levels of LDH-A,HK2 and PKM2,activity and inhibition rates of cell proliferation, ratios of G0/G1 phase and S phase, apoptosis rates, scratch healing rates, and inhibition rates of cell invasion in the medium- dose of curcumin group (P>0.05). Conclusion: Curcumin may inhibit such malignant behaviors as Warburg effect, proliferation, migration and invasion of endometrial carcinoma cells by inhibiting the YAP1 expression.