These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed


  • Title: Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors reverse chemoresistance phenotype in medullary thyroid carcinoma by a permeability glycoprotein-mediated mechanism.
    Author: Zatelli MC, Luchin A, Piccin D, Tagliati F, Bottoni A, Vignali C, Bondanelli M, degli Uberti EC.
    Journal: J Clin Endocrinol Metab; 2005 Oct; 90(10):5754-60. PubMed ID: 16091477.
    Abstract:
    OBJECTIVE: Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a highly chemoresistant malignant neoplasia deriving from parafollicular C cells. Chemotherapy failure has been ascribed, at least in part, to the overexpression by MTC of the multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1) gene, encoding a transmembrane glycoprotein [permeability glycoprotein (P-gp)] that antagonizes intracellular accumulation of cytotoxic agents. P-gp expression and function in a rat model have been demonstrated to depend on cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 isoform levels, which are found elevated in many human cancers. The aim of our study was to investigate the role of the COX-2 pathway in modulating chemoresistance. DESIGN AND RESULTS: We investigated P-gp and COX-2 expression and then evaluated the sensitizing effects of COX-2 inhibitors on the cytotoxic effects of doxorubicin in the presence or in the absence of prostaglandin E2 in primary cultures and in a human MTC cell line, TT. Moreover, P-gp function has been studied. Our data show that TT cells express both MDR1 and COX-2 and that rofecoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, sensitizes TT cells to the cytotoxic effects of doxorubicin, reducing P-gp expression and function. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that these effects are mediated by a mechanism not involving the generation of prostaglandin E2, possibly implicating the synthesis of other COX-2 products.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]