title: Balsalazide Potentiates Parthenolide-Mediated Inhibition of Nuclear Factor-κB Signaling in HCT116 Human Colorectal Cancer Cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Balsalazide is an anti-inflammatory drug used in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. Balsalazide can reduce inflammatory responses via several mechanisms, including inhibition of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activity. Parthenolide (PT) inhibits NF-κB and exerts promising anticancer effects by promoting apoptosis. The present investigated the antitumor effects of balsalazide, combined with PT, on NF-κB in a representative human colorectal carcinoma cell line, HCT116.
  
  
  METHODS
  We counted cells and conducted annexin-V assays and cell cycle analysis to measure apoptotic cell death. Western blotting was used investigate the levels of proteins involved in apoptosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PT and balsalazide produced synergistic anti-proliferative effects and induced apoptotic cell death. The combination of balsalazide and PT markedly suppressed nuclear translocation of the NF-κB p65 subunit and the phosphorylation of inhibitor of NF-κB. Moreover, PT and balsalazide dramatically enhanced NF-κB p65 phosphorylation. Apoptosis, through the mitochondrial pathway, was confirmed by detecting effects on Bcl-2 family members, cytochrome c release, and activation of caspase-3 and -8.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combination treatment with PT and balsalazide may offer an effective strategy for the induction of apoptosis in HCT116 cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School of Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun-Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School of Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Korea. ; Colon Carcinogenesis and Inflammation Laboratory, Biomedical Research Institute of Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea.
authors.forename: Se-Lim
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School of Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Korea. ; Colon Carcinogenesis and Inflammation Laboratory, Biomedical Research Institute of Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Ran
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School of Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Korea. ; Colon Carcinogenesis and Inflammation Laboratory, Biomedical Research Institute of Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea.
authors.forename: Yu-Chuan
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School of Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Korea.
authors.forename: Seung Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School of Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Korea.
authors.forename: Seong Hun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School of Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Korea.
authors.forename: In Hee
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School of Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Korea.
authors.forename: Seung Ok
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School of Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Korea. ; Colon Carcinogenesis and Inflammation Laboratory, Biomedical Research Institute of Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea.
authors.forename: Soo Teik
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School of Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Korea. ; Colon Carcinogenesis and Inflammation Laboratory, Biomedical Research Institute of Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Wook
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Apoptosis; Balsalazide; Colorectal neoplasms; NF-κB; Parthenolide