The inhibitory effect of nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs on gastric cancer

Objective To compare the effect of seven commonly used nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on proliferation, apoptosis, and neoplasmagenesis of gastric cancer cells in vivo. Methods Gastric cancer cell lines were treated with NSAIDs (aspirin 0-400 μmol/L, indomethacin 0-25 μmol/L, and ibuprofen, naproxen, sulindac, nimesulide, celecoxib 0-200 μmol/L, respectively). Proliferation of the cells was detected by using MTT assay. Apoptosis of cells was measured by using fluorescence activated cell sorter (FACS). Nude mice bearing gastric cancer xenografts were administrated with NSAIDs (indomethacin 3 mg/kg, sulindac 8 mg/kg, nimesulide 6 mg/kg, celecoxib 15 mg/kg) for 30 days, and then the weight of implanted tumors was measured. Results There was a dose dependent inhibition of cell proliferation by majority of NSAIDs used, celecoxib the most, except for ibuprofen and naproxen. In nude mice, NSAIDs also showed a suppressive effect on tumor growth with inhibitory rate of celecoxib as (93.8±0.97)%, nimesulide (93.1±1.78)%, indomethacin (89.9±5.61)% and sulindac (89.3 ± 2.07)%. Once incubated with celecoxib and indomethacin, the gastric cancer cells went to apoptosis with an increase in percentage of apoptotic cells up to 30.4% and 23.9%, respectively. Conclusions Many NSAIDs, celecoxib in particular, appeared to be suppressive to gastric cancer cells with exception for ibuprofen and naproxen. Induction of apoptosis might be one of the mechanisms that NSAIDs inhibit gastric cancer.