Antioxidative effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs during the initiation stages of experimental colon carcinogenesis in rats.

The role of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) was studied on the antioxidant defense system and nitric oxide-derived damage in a 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced rat colon carcinogenesis. Early precancerous lesions were established in the proximal and distal regions of the colon by morphological and histopathological examinations that were greatly regressed by the simultaneous treatment of the three NSAIDs, such as aspirin, celecoxib, and etoricoxib, along with the procarcinogen DMH. The intestinal brush border membrane (BBM) was isolated from the two regions and the colon-specific marker enzyme cysteine-sensitive alkaline phosphatase was assayed, which showed considerable elevation by DMH but reverted back to normal level by all the three NSAIDs. DMH also caused a higher level of lipid peroxidation as measured by malonyldialdehyde production, which was also found to be corrected by the NSAIDs, in both the region of the colonic tissue. The antioxidant activities were further established by a higher level of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione S-transferase in the NSAID treatment as compared to the DMH. The nonenzyme tripeptide, glutathione content was also recovered similarly as an antioxidant defense mechanism. To elucidate whether nitric oxide (NO) also plays an important role in the pathophysiology of colon cancer, the NO and citrulline levels were measured. The results show that the NO was lowered in DMH treatment and elevated by the administration of the NSAIDs while the citrulline level could not be recovered back. The findings of the present investigation indicate the chemopreventive modalities of the NSAIDs, particularly the COX-2 inhibitors.