COX-2: A Molecular Target for Colorectal Cancer Prevention

2005 ◽  
Vol 23 (12) ◽  
pp. 2840-2855 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne R. Brown ◽  
Raymond N. DuBois

Cyclooxygenase (COX), a key enzyme in the prostanoid biosynthetic pathway, has received considerable attention due to its role in human cancers. Observational and randomized controlled studies in many different population cohorts and settings have demonstrated protective effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs; the inhibitors of COX activity) for colorectal cancers (CRCs). COX-2, the inducible isoform of cyclooxygenase, is overexpressed in early and advanced CRC tissues, which portends a poor prognosis. Experimental studies have thus identified important mechanisms and pathways by which COX-2 plays an important role in carcinogenesis. Selective COX-2 inhibitors have been approved for use as adjunctive therapy for patients with familial polyposis. The role of COX-2 inhibitors is currently being evaluated for use in wider populations.

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josiane Viana Cruz ◽  
Joaquín María Campos Rosa ◽  
Njogu Mark Kimani ◽  
Silvana Giuliatti ◽  
Cleydson Breno Rodrigues dos Santos

: This article presents a simplified view of celecoxib as a potential inhibitor in the treatment of inflammatory diseases. The enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX) has, predominantly, two isoforms called cyclooxygenase 1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2). The former plays a constitutive role that is related to homeostatic effects in renal and platelets, while the latter is mainly responsible for induction of inflammatory effects. Since COX-2 plays an important role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases, it has been signaled as a target for the planning of anti-inflammatory intermediates. Many inhibitors developed and planned for COX-2 inhibition have presented side effects to humans, mainly in the gastrointestinal and/or cardiovascular tract. Therefore, it is necessary to design new potential COX-2 inhibitors, which are relatively safe and without side effects. To this end, of the generation of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs from “coxibs”, celecoxib is the only potent selective COX-2 inhibitor that is still commercially available. Thus, the compound celecoxib became a commercial prototype inhibitor for the development of anti-inflammatory agents for COX-2 enzyme. In this review, we provide highlights where such inhibition should provide a structural basis for the design of promising new non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) which act as COX-2 inhibitors with lesser side effects on the human body.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Courtney L. Fisher ◽  
Stacie L. Demel

Background: Saccular intracranial aneurysms (IAs) are outpouchings of the vessel wall of intracranial arteries. Rupture of IAs results in subarachnoid hemorrhage which is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Surgical interventions, such as clipping and coiling, have associated risks. Currently, there are no proven pharmacological treatments to prevent the growth or rupture of IAs. Infiltration of proinflammatory cytokines in response to increased wall sheer stress is a hallmark of IA. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are being investigated as potential therapeutic agents for reduction in growth and/or prevention of IA through inhibition of inflammatory pathways. Summary: This review will discuss the role of NSAIDs in attenuating the inflammation that drives IA progression and rupture. There are two main subtypes of NSAIDs, nonselective COX and selective COX-2 inhibitors, both of which have merit in treating IA. Evidence will be presented which shows that NSAIDs inhibit several key inflammatory mediators involved in IA progression including nuclear factor-κB, tumor necrosis factor-α, and matrix metalloproteinases. In addition, the role of NSAIDs in limiting inflammatory cell adhesion to endothelial cells and attenuating endothelial cell senescence will be discussed. Key Messages: There is an abundance of basic science and preclinical data that support NSAIDs as a promising treatment for IA. Additionally, a combination treatment strategy of low-dose aspirin given concomitantly with a selective COX-2 inhibitor may result in a reduced side effect profile compared to aspirin or selective COX-2 inhibitor use alone. Several large clinical trials are currently planned to further investigate the efficacy of NSAIDs as an effective nonsurgical treatment for IAs.


2004 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sham Sondhi ◽  
Shefali Rajvanshi ◽  
Nirupma Singh ◽  
Shubhi Jain ◽  
Anand Lahoti

AbstractNon steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are the most widely used medicines for relief of pain. These drugs have some side effects, particularly toxicity in the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys. Various approaches have been used for obtaining safer anti-inflammatory drugs. In this review we have summarized the recent developments in the following areas; (i) mode of action of NSAIDs (ii) Role of COX-1 & COX-2 in inflammation, (iii) Different approaches used to improve gastric tolerance i.e. chemical manipulation, formulation & co-administration, development of non specific (COX-1 & COX-2 inhibitors) and specific (COX-2 inhibitors) inflammation inhibitors, and development of inflammation inhibitors having a mode of action other than COX-1 & COX-2 inhibition. We have also focused on the safety of COX-2 inhibitors and the synthesis of heterocyclic compounds and their role as inflammation inhibitors.


Reproduction ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 132 (4) ◽  
pp. 571-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Gaytán ◽  
C Bellido ◽  
C Morales ◽  
J E Sánchez-Criado ◽  
F Gaytán

Treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, either non-selective or selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors, consistently impairs ovulation, indicating the essential role of COX-2/prostaglandins in the ovulatory process. Indomethacin, a potent inhibitor of both COX-1 and COX-2, induced several ovulatory alterations, consisting of a decrease in the number of oocytes effectively ovulated, trapping of oocytes inside the luteinized follicle, as well as abnormal follicle rupture at the basolateral sides, with release of the oocyte and follicular fluid to the interstitium. Yet, the precise role of prostaglandins in ovulation and whether some of the ovulatory defects induced by indomethacin are due to interference with additional components of the ovulatory cascade, beyond prostaglandin synthesis, are not completely understood. We have used gonadotrophin-primed immature rats to analyse whether, compared to indomethacin, selective inhibition of COX-2, with or without concomitant inhibition of COX-1, or selective inhibition of the lipooxygenase (LOX) pathway, induce similar ovulatory alterations. Immature rats (27 days of age) were injected PMSG (10 IU), and 48 h later hCG (10 IU) subcutaneously, and different anti-inflammatory drugs. Animals were killed at 21 h after hCG injection. Rats treated with the selective COX-2 inhibitor NS398 (10 mg/kg body weight, (bw)) showed alterations in follicle rupture as those treated with indomethacin (0.5 mg/rat), albeit affecting a lower number of follicles, irrespective of the concomitant inhibition of COX-1 with the selective inhibitor SC560 (10 mg/kg bw). Rats treated with the LOX inhibitor NDGA (300 mg/kg bw) did not show ovulatory alterations. These data indicate that the characteristic alterations of follicle rupture induced by indomethacin, are also induced by selective COX-2 inhibitors, strengthening the contention that prostaglandins play a crucial role in the spatial targeting of follicle rupture at the apex.


2004 ◽  
pp. 195-212
Author(s):  
R. Stokes Peebles ◽  
Koichi Hashimoto
Keyword(s):  
Cox 2 ◽  

2006 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 577-588 ◽  
Author(s):  
John L. Wallace

The discovery of a second form of cyclooxygenase, COX-2, led to a burst of research aimed at the development of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that would not damage the gastrointestinal tract. In the years since, this promise has only been partially fulfilled. Selective COX-2 inhibitors cause less gastric damage than conventional, nonselective COX inhibitors, but their use is still associated with significant gastrointestinal injury, and with toxicity in the renal and cardiovascular systems. COX-2 is now recognized as a source of mediators that produce many beneficial and detrimental effects in the digestive system. In this review, the roles of COX-2 in mucosal defense and injury are discussed. Furthermore, contributions of COX-2–derived products to the long-term consequences of intestinal inflammation, including cancer, are reviewed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morgane Davezac ◽  
Melissa Buscato ◽  
Rana Zahreddine ◽  
Patrick Lacolley ◽  
Daniel Henrion ◽  
...  

Cardiovascular diseases remain an age-related pathology in both men and women. These pathologies are 3-fold more frequent in men than in women before menopause, although this difference progressively decreases after menopause. The vasculoprotective role of estrogens are well established before menopause, but the consequences of their abrupt decline on the cardiovascular risk at menopause remain debated. In this review, we will attempt to summarize the main clinical and experimental studies reporting the protective effects of estrogens against cardiovascular diseases, with a particular focus on atherosclerosis, and the impact of aging and estrogen deprivation on their endothelial actions. The arterial actions of estrogens, but also part of that of androgens through their aromatization into estrogens, are mediated by the estrogen receptor (ER)α and ERβ. ERs belong to the nuclear receptor family and act by transcriptional regulation in the nucleus, but also exert non-genomic/extranuclear actions. Beside the decline of estrogens at menopause, abnormalities in the expression and/or function of ERs in the tissues, and particularly in arteries, could contribute to the failure of classic estrogens to protect arteries during aging. Finally, we will discuss how recent insights in the mechanisms of action of ERα could contribute to optimize the hormonal treatment of the menopause.


1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (11) ◽  
pp. 1561-1567 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Charette ◽  
C. Misquitta ◽  
J. Guay ◽  
D. Riendeau ◽  
T. R. Jones

Indomethacin and related nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs relax prostanoid-dependent intrinsic tone of isolated guinea pig trachea by inhibiting cyclooxygenase (COX). Recently, a second isoform of COX (COX-2) was discovered, which differed from COX-1 with respect to protein structure, transcriptional regulation, and susceptibility to inhibition by pharmacological agents. It is now known that indomethacin nonselectively inhibits COX-1 and COX-2, whereas NS-398 is a selective inhibitor of COX-2. In the present study we compared the activity of a selective (NS-398) and nonselective (indomethacin) COX-2 inhibitor on intrinsic tone of isolated guinea pig trachea. NS-398 ≥ indomethacin produced a reversal of intrinsic tone with a similar concentration-dependent (10 nM to 1 μM) time course (Tmax approximately 20–45 min), potency (EC50 1.7 and 5.6 nM, respectively), and maximal response. Contractions to cholinergic nerve stimulation (45 V, 0.5 ms, 0.1–32 Hz) and histamine were similarly modulated in tissues relaxed with the selective or nonselective COX-2 inhibitors. Immunoblot analyses showed that COX-2 protein synthesis was induced in both the cartilage and smooth muscle portions of the trachea during changes in intrinsic tone. These findings are consistent with pharmacological results and provide the first demonstration that prostanoid tone in isolated guinea pig trachea is dependent on COX-2 activity. The results also suggest that the activity of indomethacin in this preparation is likely related to COX-2 inhibition.Key words: cyclooxygenase 2, relaxation, guinea pig trachea, cyclooxygenase 1.


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