title: [NS398 induced apoptosis in pancreatic carcinoma cell strain BxPC-3 through a COX-2-in dependent pathway].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of the selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor NS398 on the growth of human pancreatic tumor BxPC-3 cell strain and its possible mechanisms.
  
  
  METHODS
  The effect of NS398 on cell growth was assessed by 3- (4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl) -2, 5-diphenyl thiazolyl blue (MTT) assay. Apoptosis was determined by fluorescence-activated cell scanning (FACS) analysis and assessment of the floating cell/attached cell ratio. Caspase-3 activation was evaluated by Active Caspase-3 Apoptosis Kit with flow cytometry. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis (RT-PCR) and Western blot were used to demonstrate expression levels of COX-1, COX-2 mRNA, and protein, as well as Caspase-3 protein in pancreatic tumor BxPC-3 cell strain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Selective COX-2 inhibitor NS398 significantly decreased cell viability and induced apoptosis in pancreatic tumor BxPC-3 cell strain. The protein expression of Caspase-3 was induced by high-concentration NS398. Caspase-3 activity was strongly activated by NS398.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Selective COX-2 inhibitor NS398 has antiproliferative and proapoptotic potential in pancreatic tumor BxPC-3 cells. Such effect is independent of COX-2, but correlates with Caspase-3 activation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, China. dshuang@mail.hz.zj.cn
authors.forename: Dong-sheng
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Shu-sen
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Jian-feng
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D009578:Nitrobenzenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D009578:Nitrobenzenes; D013449:Sulfonamides; C080955:N-(2-cyclohexyloxy-4-nitrophenyl)methanesulfonamide; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D053148:Caspase 3