Inhibition of arachidonic acid metabolism decreases tumor cell invasion and matrix metalloproteinase expression

Head and neck cancers are known to synthesize arachidonic acid metabolites Interfering with arachidonic acid metabolism may inhibit growth and invasiveness of cancer cells In this study we investigate effects of sulindac (the non-selective COX inhibitor) aspirin (the irreversible preferential COX-1 inhibitor) NS-398 (the selective COX-2 inhibitor) NDGA (nordihydroguaiaretic acid the selective LOX inhibitor) and ETYA (5 8 11 14-eicosatetraynoic acid the COX and LOX inhibitor) on cell viability MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities and in vitro invasion of cancer cells derived from primary and metastatic head and neck and colon cancers The inhibitors of COX and/or LOX could inhibit cell proliferation MMP activity and invasion in head and neck and colon cancer cells However the inhibitory effect was obviously observed in colon cancer cells Inhibition of arachidonic acid metabolism caused a decrease in cancer cell motility which partially explained by the inhibition of MMPs Therefore COX and LOX pathways play important roles in head and neck cancer cell growth (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc All rights reserved