Objective: 

Through cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX) pathways arachidonic acid generates a number of compounds including prostaglandins, thromboxanes and leukotrienes. Beside wide range of clinical effects, these compounds also inhibit tumor cell apoptosis or induce tumor-cell proliferation. Interestingly, the dual COX/LOX inhibition is expected to possess clinical advantages over the selective inhibitors of only COX or only LOX enzymes, and could reduce the incidence or the progression of many cancers. One of the most promising compounds belonging to this dual inhibitor category is licofelone. We questioned whether licofelone effects the survival of rat glioma cell line (C6) in vitro.

Methods: 

The cells were preincubated for 24 hours in 96 well plates containing 1x104 cells/well, Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium, 10% fetal bovine serum and 1% antibiotics. Then these cells were treated with only medium (control) or licofelone doses (10, 50, 100, 150, 200 or 250 mM) for 24 or 48 hours (n=24). For viability test, 3-(4,5-dmethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was applied.

Results: 

Treatment of the cells with 10, 50 and 100 mM licofelone for 24 or 48 hr did not show any action on cell viability. However, 150, 200 and 250 mM licofelone for 24 hr reduced the number of living cells by 20, 45 and 74% as compared to the control, respectively. Incubation of the cells for 48 hr with 150, 200 and 250 mM licofelone decresased further the percentage of surviving cells down to 42, 12 and 7%, respectively.

Conclusions: 

The present study reveals the possibility that licofelone posseses a strong (upto 93%) dose and time dependent anticancer property.