title: Modulation of apoptosis and Bcl-2 expression by prostaglandin E2 in human colon cancer cells.
abstract: Previously, we have shown that forced expression of prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase-2 [also called cyclooxygenase (COX) 2] leads to inhibition of programmed cell death in intestinal epithelial cells. More recently, we have demonstrated that growth of human colonic cancer xenografts is inhibited by treatment with a highly selective COX-2 inhibitor in tumors that express COX-2 (HCA-7) but not in those that lack COX-2 expression (HCT-116). To explore the biochemical mechanisms involved in these effects, we have evaluated the role of COX-2-derived eicosanoid products on programmed cell death in human colon cancer cells. Here we report that PGE2 treatment of human colon cancer cells leads to increased clonogenicity of HCA-7, but not HCT-116 cells. Treatment with a highly selective COX-2 inhibitor (SC-58125) decreases colony formation in monolayer culture and this growth inhibition was reversed by treatment with PGE2. Additionally, PGE2 inhibits programmed cell death caused by SC-58125 and induces Bcl-2 expression, but did not affect Bcl-x or Bax expression in human colon cancer (HCA-7) cells. Therefore, decreased cell death caused by PGE2 would enhance the tumorigenic potential of intestinal epithelial cells. Thus, these results may help to explain a component of the mechanism by which COX inhibitors prevent colorectal cancer in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232-2279, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sheng
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Morrow
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Beauchamp
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: DuBois
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000473:pathology; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D011720:Pyrazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D052246:Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D011720:Pyrazoles; C090859:1-((4-methylsulfonyl)phenyl)-3-trifluoromethyl-5-(4-fluorophenyl)pyrazole; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases; D015232:Dinoprostone