Meloxicam in the treatment of in vitro and in vivo models of urinary bladder cancer

To assess the efficacy of meloxicam, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), on three human urinary bladder-cancer cell lines (HT1376, T24 and 5637) and on mice urinary bladder cancer chemically induced by N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine (BBN). The in vitro effects of meloxicam were assessed by optical microscopy, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) method, flow cytometry and comet assay. In vivo, Hsd:ICR male mice were exposed to BBN in drinking water, over the course of 12 weeks. Subsequently, animals were treated with meloxicam by intraperitoneal route, for 6 consecutively weeks. Tumour development was evaluated by haematoxylin and eosin staining. Renal and hepatic functions, interleucin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP) and tumour necrosis factor (TNFα) were also evaluated. In vitro, meloxicam induced a significant (P