Effects of recently developed antiphlogistic drugs on viability, reduplication, mean volume and volume distribution of mammalian cells cultured in vitro

Sulindac sulfide, an aspirin-like compound, inhibits proliferation, causes cell cycle quiescence, and induces apoptosis in HT-29 colon adenocarcinoma cells

Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), have cancer preventive and tumor regressive effects in the human colon. They lower the incidence of and mortality from colorectal cancer and sulindac reduces the number and size of polyps in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis. We studied the effect of sulindac, and its metabolite sulindac sulfide, on the proliferation of HT-29 colon adenocarcinoma cells. Both compounds reduced the proliferation rate of these cells, changed their morphology, and caused them to accumulate in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle. These responses were time- and concentration-dependent and reversible. In addition, these compounds reduced the level and activity of several cyclin-dependent kinases (cdks), which regulate cell cycle progression. Sulindac and sulindac sulfide also induced apoptosis in these cells at concentrations that affected their proliferation, morphology, and cell cycle phase distribution. Sulindac sulfide was approximately sixfold more potent than sulindac in inducing these cellular responses. Our results indicate that inhibition of cell cycle progression and induction of apoptotic cell death contribute to the anti-proliferative effects of sulindac and sulindac sulfide in HT-29 cells. These findings may be relevant to the cancer preventive and tumor regressive effects of these compounds in humans.

Growth inhibition and morphological changes caused by indomethacin in fibroblasts in vitro

In a definite range of concentrations indomethacin inhibits the multiplication of fibroblasts in vitro without influencing their viability. The effect of lethal doses of indomethacin on the fine structure of normal and transformed fibroblasts was investigated by light and electron microscopy. The cells grown in flat monolayers became roundish and, varying in sequence, small zeiotic blebs were bulging at the external cell membrane. Beside coarse vesicular transformation of the endoplasmatic reticulum and extension of the perinuclear spaces ballooning of the mitochondria occurred. After breaking up of the vesicles of the endoplasmatic reticulum loosening of the cytoplasmic ground substance associated with enlargement of the hyaline plasma margins was observed in further progress of the experiment. The internal structures of the mitochondria were completely disorganized. In the ultrastructure of the fibroblasts altered by lethal doses of indomethacin no specific sites of drug action could be identified.