1. Nimesulide inhibits the growth of human esophageal carcinoma cells by inactivating the JAK2/STAT3 pathway.
- Author
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Liu JR, Wu WJ, Liu SX, Zuo LF, Wang Y, Yang JZ, and Nan YM
- Subjects
- Animals, Apoptosis drug effects, Carcinoma, Squamous Cell drug therapy, Cell Line, Tumor, Cell Proliferation drug effects, Esophageal Neoplasms drug therapy, Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Female, Humans, Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins genetics, Mice, Inbred BALB C, Mice, Nude, Signal Transduction drug effects, Carcinoma, Squamous Cell metabolism, Cyclooxygenase 2 metabolism, Esophageal Neoplasms metabolism, Janus Kinase 2 metabolism, STAT3 Transcription Factor metabolism, Sulfonamides pharmacology
- Abstract
Although selective COX-2 inhibitors have cancer-preventive effects and induce apoptosis, the mechanisms underlying these effects are not fully understood. This study investigated the effects of nimesulide, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, on apoptosis and on the JAK/STAT signaling pathway in Eca-109 human esophageal squamous carcinoma cells. The effects and mechanisms of nimesulide on Eca-109 cell growth were studied in culture and in nude mice with Eca-109 xenografts. Cells were cultured with or without nimesulide and/or the JAK2 inhibitor AG490. Cell proliferation was evaluated using the MTT assay, and apoptosis was investigated. COX-2 mRNA expression was measured using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and protein expression was detected by Western blot analysis, immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometry. Nimesulide significantly inhibited Eca-109 cell viability in vitro in a dose- and time-dependent manner (P<0.05). Nimesulide also induced apoptosis, which was accompanied by a significant decrease in the expression of COX-2 and survivin and an increase in caspase-3 expression. Nimesulide downregulated the phosphorylation levels of JAK2 and STAT3, and JAK2 inhibition by AG490 significantly augmented both nimesulide-induced apoptosis and the downregulation of COX-2 and survivin (P<0.05). In vivo, nimesulide inhibited the growth of Eca-109 tumors and the expression of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3. Thus, nimesulide downregulates COX-2 and survivin expression and upregulates caspase-3 expression in Eca-109 cells, by inactivating the JAK2/STAT3 pathway. These effects may mediate nimesulide-induced apoptosis and growth inhibition in Eca-109 cells in vitro and in vivo., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2015
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