A COX-2 inhibitor nimesulide analog selectively induces apoptosis in Her2 overexpressing breast cancer cells via cytochrome c dependent mechanisms

Celecoxib inhibits NLRP1 inflammasome pathway in MDA-MB-231 Cells

NLRP1 is predominantly overexpressed in breast cancer tissue, and the evaluated activation of NLRP1 inflammasome is associated with tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Therefore, targeting NLRP1 activation could be a crucial strategy in anticancer therapy. In this study, we investigated the hypothesis that NLRP1 pathway may contribute to the cytotoxic effects of celecoxib and nimesulide in MDA-MB-231 cells. First of all, IC50 values and inhibitory effects on the colony-forming ability of drugs were evaluated in cells. Then, the alterations in the expression levels of NLRP1 inflammasome components induced by drugs were investigated. Subsequently, the release of inflammatory cytokine IL-1β and the activity of caspase-1 in drug-treated cells were measured. According to our results, celecoxib and nimesulide selectively inhibited the viability of MDA-MB-231 cells. These drugs remarkably inhibited the colony-forming ability of cells. The expression levels of NLRP1 inflammasome components decreased in celecoxib-treated cells, accompanied by decreased caspase-1 activity and IL-1β release. In contrast, nimesulide treatment led to the upregulation of the related protein expressions with unchanged caspase-1 activity and increased IL-1β secretion. Our results indicated that the NLRP1 inflammasome pathway might contribute to the antiproliferative effects of celecoxib in MDA-MB-231 cells but is not a crucial mechanism for nimesulide.

Nimesulide analogues: From anti-inflammatory to antitumor agents

Nimesulide is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug possessing analgesic and antipyretic properties. This drug is considered a selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor and, more recently, has been associated to antitumor activity. Thus, numerous works have been developed to modify the nimesulide skeleton aiming to develop new and more potent and selective COX-2 inhibitors as well as potential anticancer agents. This review intends to provide an overview on analogues of nimesulide, including the general synthetic approaches used for their preparation and structural diversification and their main anti-inflammatory and/or antitumor properties.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of anti-cancer agents that selectively inhibit Her2 over-expressed breast cancer cell growth via down-regulation of Her2 protein

Compound JCC76 selectively inhibited the proliferation of human epidermal growth factor 2 (Her2) over-expressed breast cancer cells. In the current study, a ligand based structural optimization was performed to generate new analogs, and we identified derivatives 16 and 17 that showed improved activity and selectivity against Her2 positive breast cancer cells. A structure activity relationship (SAR) was summarized. Compounds 16 and 17 were also examined by western blot assay to check their effect on Her2 protein. The results reveal that the compounds could decrease the Her2 protein, which explains their selectivity to Her2 over-expressed breast cancer cells. Furthermore, the compounds inhibited the chaperone activity of small chaperone protein that could stabilize Her2 protein.

Comparative Evaluation of Nimesulide-Loaded Nanoparticles for Anticancer Activity Against Breast Cancer Cells

Recent clinical and epidemiological researches have declared that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents may display as antineoplastic agents and indicate pro-apoptotic and antiproliferative effects on cancer cells. The major purpose of this research was to develop a novel poly(ethyleneglycol)-block-poly(ε-caprolactone) (PEG-b-PCL) nano-sized particles encapsulated with nimesulide (NMS), a selective COX-2 inhibitor, and to evaluate its anticancer activity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells. NMS-encapsulated PEG-b-PCL nanoparticles were fabricated using three different production techniques: (i) by emulsion-solvent evaporation using a high shear homogenizer, (ii) by emulsion-solvent evaporation using an ultrasonicator, and (iii) by nanoprecipitation. Nanoparticles were evaluated with respect to the entrapment efficiency, size characteristics, drug release rates, thermal behavior, cell viability assays, and apoptosis. The resulting nanoparticles were found to be spherical shapes with negative surface charges. The average diameter of all nanoparticles ranged between 148.5 and 307.2 nm. In vitro release profiles showed that all nanoparticles exhibited a biphasic release pattern. NMS-loaded PEG-b-PCL nanoparticles demonstrated significant anticancer activity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner, and the effects of nanoparticles on cell proliferation were significantly affected by the preparation techniques. The nanoparticles developed in this work displayed higher potential for the NMS delivery against breast cancer treatment for the future.

A novel mechanism for momordin Ic-induced HepG2 apoptosis: involvement of PI3K- and MAPK-dependent PPARγ activation

Momordin Ic is a natural triterpenoid saponin found in various Chinese and Japanese natural medicines such as the fruit of Kochia scoparia (L.) Schrad. Momordin Ic has been previously demonstrated to induce HepG2 cell apoptosis in a ROS-mediated PI3K and MAPK pathway-dependent manner. In the present study, the underlying mechanisms of PI3K and MAPK pathway-mediated PPARγ, and PGC-1α co-regulator activation, as well as the effects of downstream proteins, COX-2 and FoxO4, on cell apoptosis were investigated. The results demonstrated that momordin Ic activated PPARγ and inhibited COX-2. PGC-1α and FoxO4 expressions were increased by the PI3K or MAPK pathways. Furthermore, PPARγ inhibition decreased p-p38 and FoxO4 expression, and restored COX-2 expression. ROS inhibition exerted little effect on PPARγ, COX-2 and FoxO4 expression but affected PGC-1α expression. These results revealed the involvement of PI3K and MAPK-dependent PPARγ activation in momordin Ic-induced apoptosis, providing more detailed information underlying the pro-apoptotic mechanism of momordin Ic in HepG2 cell apoptosis.

Selective Phosphodiesterase 4B Inhibitors: A Review

Phosphodiesterase 4B (PDE4B) is a member of the phosphodiesterase family of proteins that plays a critical role in regulating intracellular levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) by controlling its rate of degradation. It has been demonstrated that this isoform is involved in the orchestra of events which includes inflammation, schizophrenia, cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, contractility of the myocardium, and psoriatic arthritis. Phosphodiesterase 4B has constituted an interesting target for drug development. In recent years, a number of PDE4B inhibitors have been developed for their use as therapeutic agents. In this review, an up-to-date status of the inhibitors investigated for the inhibition of PDE4B has been given so that this rich source of structural information of presently known PDE4B inhibitors could be helpful in generating a selective and potent inhibitor of PDE4B.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of nimesulide based new class of triazole derivatives as potential PDE4B inhibitors against cancer cells

A new class of 1,2,3-triazol derivatives derived from nimesulide was designed as potential inhibitors of PDE4B. Synthesis of these compounds was carried out via a multi-step sequence consisting of copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) as a key step in aqueous media. The required azide was prepared via the reaction of aryl amine (obtained from nimesulide) with α-chloroacetyl chloride followed by displacing the α-chloro group by an azide. Some of the synthesized compounds showed encouraging PDE4B inhibitory properties in vitro that is >50% inhibition at 30 μM that were supported by the docking studies of these compounds at the active site of PDE4B enzyme (dock scores ~ -28.6 for a representative compound). Two of these PDE4 inhibitors showed promising cytotoxic properties against HCT-15 human colon cancer cells in vitro with IC50 ~ 21-22 μg/mL.

Synthesis and anticancer mechanism investigation of dual Hsp27 and tubulin inhibitors

Heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27) is a chaperone protein, and its expression is increased in response to various stress stimuli including anticancer chemotherapy, which allows the cells to survive and causes drug resistance. We previously identified lead compounds that bound to Hsp27 and tubulin via proteomic approaches. Systematic ligand based optimization in the current study significantly increased the cell growth inhibition and apoptosis inducing activities of the compounds. Compared to the lead compounds, one of the new derivatives exhibited much better potency to inhibit tubulin polymerization but a decreased activity to inhibit Hsp27 chaperone function, suggesting that the structural modification dissected the dual targeting effects of the compound. The most potent compounds 20 and 22 exhibited strong cell proliferation inhibitory activities at subnanomolar concentration against 60 human cancer cell lines conducted by Developmental Therapeutic Program at the National Cancer Institute and represented promising candidates for anticancer drug development.

Regulation of Apoptosis by HER2 in Breast Cancer

HER2 is a trans-membrane receptor tyrosine kinase that activates multiple growth-promoting signaling pathways including PI3K-AKT and Ras-MAPK. Dysregulation of HER2 is a frequent occurrence in breast cancer that is associated with poor patient outcomes. A primary function of HER2 is suppressing apoptosis to enhance cell survival giving rise to uncontrolled proliferation and tumor growth. There has been much investigation into the mechanisms by which apoptosis is suppressed by HER2 in hopes of finding clinical targets for HER2-positive breast cancers as these cancers often become resistant to therapies that directly target HER2. Several apoptotic mechanisms have been shown to be deregulated in HER2-overexpressing cells with examples in both the intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways. HER2-mediated activation of PI3K-AKT signaling is required for many of the mechanisms HER2 uses to suppress apoptosis. HER2 overexpression is correlated with increases in anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins including Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and Mcl-1. HER2 also suppresses p53-mediated apoptosis by upregulation of MDM2 by activation of AKT. In addition, survivin expression is often increased with HER2 overexpression leading to inhibition of caspase activation. There is also recent evidence to suggest HER2 can directly influence apoptosis by translocation to the mitochondria to inhibit cytochrome c release. HER2 can also suppress cellular reaction to death ligands, especially TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Elucidation of the mechanisms of apoptotic suppression by HER2 suggest that clinical treatment will likely need to target multiple components of these pathways as there is redundancy in HER2-mediated cell survival. Several therapies have attempted to target Bcl-2 proteins that have promising pre-clinical results. Next-generation HER2 targeting therapies include irreversible pan-ERBB inhibitors and antibody-drug conjugates, such as T-DM1 that has very promising clinical results thus far. Further investigation should include elucidating mechanisms of resistance to HER2-targeted therapies and targeting of multiple components of HER2-mediated cell survival.

Nimesulide Based Novel Glycolamide Esters: Their Design, Synthesis, and Pharmacological Evaluation

The nimesulide based novel glycolamide esters were designed and synthesized for the first timeviaa three-step method starting from nimesulide. Structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed by spectroscopic analysis. All the synthesized compounds were examined for their cytotoxic effectsin vitro,some of which showed significant cytotoxic activities against HCT-15 human colon cancer cell line.

A new protoapigenone analog RY10-4 induces apoptosis and suppresses invasion through the PI3K/Akt pathway in human breast cancer

RY10-4, a novel protoapigenone analog, shows potent cytotoxicity against a broad spectrum of human cancer cells. Here we investigate its anti-tumor activity on breast cancer. The results indicated that RY10-4 suppressed proliferation, arrested cell cycle, induced apoptosis and inhibited invasion in MDA-MB-231, MCF-7 and SKBR3 breast cancer cells. Western blot analysis showed that RY10-4 down-regulated the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and inhibited doxorubicin-induced p-Akt. Moreover, it effectively suppressed tumor growth in mice without major side effects. Therefore, RY10-4 had potential anti-tumor activity, and could be used as a lead to design more potent derivatives.

Nimesulide inhibited the growth of hypopharyngeal carcinoma cells via suppressing Survivin expression

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Nimesulide, a selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor, on the growth of hypopharyngeal carcinoma cells (FaDu) in vitro, and investigate its potential mechanism.

METHODS

After FaDu cells were treated with graded concentrations of Nimesulide for divergent time, sensitivity of cells to drug treatment was analyzed by MTT assay. Morphological changes of FaDu cells in the presence of Nimesulide were observed by acridine orange cytochemistry staining. Proliferating cells were detected using the 5-Bromo-2'-deoxy-uridine (BrdU) incorporation assay. Following cells were subjected to Nimesulide (500 μmol/l) for 6 h, 12 h and 24 h, the percentage of apoptosis was examined by flow cytometry. We detected COX-2 and Survivin expression change by RT-PCR and Western blot, and analyzed the correlation of them with the growth of FaDu cells. Additionally, we also analyzed Caspase-3, Bcl-2 and Bax expressions as markers to investigate the related pathway of Nimesulide-indued apoptosis.

RESULTS

Compared with the control group, the viabilities rates were decreased by Nimesulide in time- and dose-dependent manners, typical morphological changes of apoptotic cells were observed in the Nimesulide-treatment groups, Nimesulide could suppress the proliferation of FaDu cells significantly. The percentage of apoptosis in FaDu cells were markedly increased after Nimesulide-treatment for 6 h, 12 h and 24 h. Nimesulide down-regulated the Survivin and COX-2 expressions at mRNA and protein levels in FaDu cells. Additional analyses indicated that Bcl-2 expression was significantly decreased and the expressions of Caspase-3 as well as Bax were increased at both mRNA and protein levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the induction of apoptosis and suppression of proliferation, Nimesulide could inhibit the growth of FaDu cells. Furthermore, the suppression of Survivin expression may play an important role in Nimesulide-induced growth inhibition. Nimesulide could act as an effective therapeutic agent for hypopharyngeal carcinoma therapy.

Antitumor effect of a generation 4 polyamidoamine dendrimer/cyclooxygenase-2 antisense oligodeoxynucleotide complex on breast cancer in vitro and in vivo

Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 plays critical roles in tumorigenesis, tumor cell growth, and angiogenesis, and inhibiting the expression of COX-2 by gene therapy has showed promising prospects. Vectors are crucial for gene therapy. Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers are one type of nano-vectors. In this study, we synthesized a generation 4 polyamidoamine (G4PAMAM) dendrimer/COX-2 antisense oligodeoxynucleotide complex (G4PAMAM/COX-2ASODN), determined the transfection rate of G4PAMAM/COX-2ASODN on cultured breast cancer cells, assessed the cell viability, cell cycle dynamics, and cell invasiveness after transfection, and investigated the effects of G4PAMAM/COX-2ASODN on the expression of COX-2 mRNA and protein and microvessel density (MVD) levels in the tumor tissues of a breast cancer nude mouse model. The results showed that G4PAMAM/COX-2ASODN had a high transfection rate, decreased the cell viability, induced apoptosis and G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, and suppressed cell invasiveness. After treatment with G4PAMAM/COX-2ASODN, the copy number of COX-2 mRNA and protein expression in the tumor tissue were decreased markedly, MVD in the tumor tissue was also decreased, and tumor growth was restrained (p<0. 05). We conclude that COX-2ASODN can be delivered into the cultured and transplanted breast cancer cells efficiently by G4PAMAM, can reduce the expression of COX-2 mRNA and protein, and can lower the MVD of tumor tissues. The G4PAMAM/COX-2ASODN complex has antitumor properties in vitro and in vivo.

From COX-2 inhibitor nimesulide to potent anti-cancer agent: synthesis, in vitro, in vivo and pharmacokinetic evaluation

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor nimesulide inhibits the proliferation of various types of cancer cells mainly via COX-2 independent mechanisms, which makes it a good lead compound for anti-cancer drug development. In the presented study, a series of new nimesulide analogs were synthesized based on the structure-function analysis generated previously. Some of them displayed very potent anti-cancer activity with IC(50)s around 100 nM-200 nM to inhibit SKBR-3 breast cancer cell growth. CSUOH0901 (NSC751382) from the compound library also inhibits the growth of the 60 cancer cell lines used at National Cancer Institute Developmental therapeutics Program (NCIDTP) with IC(50)s around 100 nM-500 nM. Intraperitoneal injection with a dosage of 5  mg/kg/d of CSUOH0901 to nude mice suppresses HT29 colorectal xenograft growth. Pharmacokinetic studies demonstrate the good bioavailability of the compound.

In vitro and in vivo effects of a cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor nimesulide analog JCC76 in aromatase inhibitors-insensitive breast cancer cells

Third generation aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are more effective than tamoxifen in the treatment of estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancer. However, long-term use of AIs commonly results in resistance. We examined whether compound JCC76{Cyclohexanecarboxylic acid [3-(2,5-dimethyl-benzyloxy)-4-(methanesulfonyl-methyl-amino)-phenyl]-amide}, an analog of Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor nimesulide, can inhibit the growth of AI-insensitive breast cancer cells and the mechanisms by which the compound affects cell proliferation. LTEDaro (long term estrogen deprived MCF-7aro cell) cells, which are a model for AI resistance, were used in this study. JCC76 effectively inhibited LTEDaro cell proliferation with an IC(50) of 2.75 ± 0.31 μM. Further investigations reveal that the compound significantly induced apoptosis in LTEDaro cells by decreasing pAKT, BCL-2 and pBad protein levels, which were all up regulated in the cells after long term estrogen deprivation. LTEDaro tumor size and weight were decreased in ovariectomized nude mice treated with the compound, and cell apoptosis in the tumor tissue was increased compared to the control. The animal weight remained almost unchanged which indicated the low toxicity of the compound. These results suggest that JCC76 overcame AI resistance by inducing cell apoptosis as illustrated in the in vitro and in vivo models. Collectively, results from this study provide data to support that nimesulide analog JCC76 may be a new drug candidate to treat AI-resistant breast cancers. It could be also used as a lead to design and synthesize more potent derivatives.

Transcript profiling identifies novel key players mediating the growth inhibitory effect of NS-398 on human pancreatic cancer cells

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive human malignancies with an increasing incidence worldwide. Despite an increase in the number of systemic treatments available for pancreatic cancer, the impact of therapy on the clinical course of the disease has been modest, underscoring an urgent need for new therapeutic options. Although selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors have been demonstrated to have cancer-preventive effects, the mechanism of their effects is not clearly known. Moreover, there have been no unbiased studies to identify novel molecular targets of NS-398 regarding pancreatic cancer. Here we undertook a gene expression profiling study to identify novel molecular targets modulating the growth inhibitory effects of NS-398 on pancreatic cancer cell lines. Our mRNA-based gene expression results showed that the growth inhibitory effect of NS-398 was accompanied with an activation of G1/S and G2/M cell cycle regulation, P53 signalling, apoptotic, aryl hydrocarbon receptor and death receptor signalling pathways. Moreover, we reported, for the first time, that the growth inhibitory effect of NS-398 is mediated by down-regulation of RRM2, CTGF, MCM2 and PCNA and up-regulation of NAG-1 in all cell lines.

Estrogenic and progestagenic effects of extracts of Justicia pectoralis Jacq., an herbal medicine from Costa Rica used for the treatment of menopause and PMS

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the biological activities of Justicia pectoralis Jacq. (Acanthaceae), an herbal medicine used in Costa Rica (CR) for the management of menopausal symptoms and dysmenorrhea.

STUDY DESIGN

The aerial parts of J. pectoralis were collected, dried and extracted in methanol. To establish possible mechanisms of action of JP for the treatment of menopausal symptoms, the estrogenic and progesterone agonists, and antiinflammatory activities were investigated.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The methanol extract (JP-M) was tested in ER and PR binding assays, a COX-2 enzyme inhibition assay, the ERbeta-CALUX assay in U2-OS cells, as well as reporter and endogenous gene assays in MCF-7 K1 cells.

RESULTS

The JP-M extract inhibited COX-2 catalytic activity (IC(50) 4.8 microg/mL); bound to both ERalpha and ERbeta (IC(50) 50 microg/mL and 23.1 microg/mL, respectively); induced estrogen-dependent transcription in the ERbeta-CALUX; and bound to the progesterone receptor (IC(50) 22.8 microg/mL). The extract also modulated the expression of endogenous estrogen responsive genes pS2, PR, and PTGES in MCF-7 cells at a concentration of 20 microg/mL. Activation of a 2 ERE-construct in transiently transfected MCF-7 cells by the extract was inhibited by the estrogen receptor antagonist ICI 182,780, indicating that the effects were mediated through the estrogen receptor. Finally, the extract weakly enhanced the proliferation of MCF-7 cells, however this was not statistically significant as compared with DMSO controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Extracts of J. pectoralis have estrogenic, progestagenic and anti-inflammatory effects, and thus have a plausible mechanism of action, explaining its traditional use for menopause and PMS.

Reversal of gene expression changes in the colorectal normal-adenoma pathway by NS398 selective COX2 inhibitor

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Treatment of colorectal adenomas with selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors can contribute to the chemoprevention of colorectal cancer (CRC), but the molecular background of their effect is not fully understood. We analysed the gene expression modulatory effect of N-(2-cyclohexyloxy-4-nitrophenyl)-methanesulfonamide (NS398) on HT29 cells to be correlated with expression data gained from biopsy samples.

METHODS

HT29 colon adenocarcinoma cells were treated with NS398, and global mRNA expression was analysed on HGU133Plus2.0 microarrays. Discriminatory transcripts between normal and adenoma and between adenoma and CRC biopsy samples were identified using HGU133Plus2.0 microarrays. The results were validated using RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Between normal and adenoma samples, 20 classifiers were identified, including overexpressed cadherin 3, KIAA1199, and downregulated peptide YY, glucagon, claudin 8. Seventeen of them changed in a reverse manner in HT29 cells under NS398 treatment, 14 (including upregulated claudin 8, peptide YY, and downregulated cadherin 3, KIAA1199) at a significance of P<0.05. Normal and CRC could be distinguished using 38 genes, the expression of 12 of them was changed in a reverse manner under NS398 treatment.

CONCLUSION

NS398 has a reversal effect on the expression of several genes that altered in colorectal adenoma-carcinoma sequence. NS398 more efficiently inverted the expression changes seen in the normal-adenoma than in the normal-carcinoma transition.

Lead optimization of COX-2 inhibitor nimesulide analogs to overcome aromatase inhibitor resistance in breast cancer cells

A series of COX-2 selective inhibitor nimesulide derivatives were synthesized. Their anti-cell proliferation activities were evaluated with a long-term estrogen deprived MCF-7aro (LTEDaro) breast cancer cell line, which is the biological model of aromatase inhibitor resistance for hormone-dependent breast cancer. Compared to nimesulide which inhibited LTEDaro cell proliferation with an IC(50) at 170.30 microM, several new compounds showed IC(50) close to 1.0 microM.