title: Effects of combining Taxol and cyclooxygenase inhibitors on the angiogenesis and apoptosis in human ovarian cancer xenografts.
abstract: The present study aimed to investigate the combined effects of Taxol and cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors on angiogenesis and cell apoptosis of SKOV-3 human ovarian carcinoma cell xenograft-bearing mice. The experiments were continued for 28 days. Animals were treated with 3 mg/kg SC-560 (a COX-1-selective inhibitor) alone, 100 mg/kg celecoxib (a COX-2-selective inhibitor) alone or SC-560/celecoxib by gavage twice a day, 20 mg/kg Taxol alone intraperitoneally once a week or in combination with SC-560 or celecoxib or SC-560/celecoxib/Taxol for three weeks. The mRNA levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The microvessel density (MVD) of ovarian carcinoma was determined by immunohistochemistry with anti-CD(34) as the label. The apoptotic index was detected by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling (TUNEL) method. The MVD value and apoptotic index in the SC-560/Taxol group were notably inhibited compared with the Taxol group (P<0.001). Moreover, the VEGF mRNA levels, MVD value and apoptotic index in the SC-560/Taxol group were significantly different from the celecoxib/Taxol group (P<0.05, P<0.05 and P<0.001, respectively). The present study demonstrated that SC-560 enhances the anti-angiogenic and pro-apoptotic effects of Taxol and these effects are better than with celecoxib.
authors: Department of Gynecology, Nanjing Medical University of Hangzhou Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310006,  P.R. China.
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Li
authors: Yun-Xian
authors: YX
authors: Tang
authors: Liang
authors: L
authors: Wan
authors: Jia-Hui
authors: JH
authors: Cai
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Zhang
keywords: SC-560; Taxol; celecoxib; cell apoptosis; microvessel density; ovarian cancer; vascular endothelial growth factor