Studies On The Effects And Mechnisms Of COX-2 And Nimesulide On Breast Cancer

Part OneTHE EXPRESSION AND CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF COX-2 IN BREAST CANCER, AND THE EFFECTOF COX-2 ON ANGIOGENESIS SECTION ONE THE EXPRESSION AND CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCEOF CYCLOOXYGENASE-2 IN BREAST CANCERObjectives: To investigate the expression and clinical significance of COX-2 expression. Methods: Reverse transcription-PCR, immunohisto-chemistry, Western blot assay were used to assess the expressions of COX-2 in cancerous tissues, paired tissues adjacent to breast cancers and normal tissues far from neoplasm. Results: Strong expression of COX-2 mRNA was detected in 86% of breast cancers ( 0～1.180 ), and increased expression in paired tissues adjacent to cancers with range of 0～0.652, but nearly no expression in normal tissues. There were significantly different expressions of COX-2 mRNA between cancers and paired tissues adjacent to cancers or normal tissues. Immunohistochemical analysis shown that COX-2 were overexpressed in 46.5% carcinomas, and 16% of paired tissues adjacent to cancers, no expression in normal tissues. Western blot indicated that markedly increased expressions of COX-2 in tumors, while lesser increase in paired tissues and noexpression in normal tissues. Conclusions: Overexpression of COX-2 has occurred in the earlier period during tumorigenesis. Selective COX-2 inhibitors may be useful in the chemoprevention and therapy of human breast cancer.KEY WORDS: breast cancer, cox-2, gene, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry...