Anti-inflammatory agents suppress the prostaglandin E2 production and migration ability of cholangiocarcinoma cell lines.

Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), one of the products catalyzed by cyclooxygenases (COXs), could actuate several pathways implicated in chronic inflammation-related cancer, including apoptosis evasion, cell proliferation, migration and angiogenesis. We hypothesized that blocking of PGE2 production might be an effective strategy to attenuate the progression of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Thus, the aim of this study was to examine the effects of two anti-inflammatory agents, meloxicam, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, and xanthohumol, a natural plant extract, on PGE2 production and migration ability of human CCA cell lines. The results showed that 100 μM of meloxicam and 10 μM of xanthohumol suppressed the PGE2 level in the cultured media and wound-induced migration of human CCA cell lines, M139 and M214. The present results revealed that meloxicam and xanthohumol have potential to suppress PGE2 production and cell migration. These findings may offer alternative approaches for chemoprevention and therapy of CCA.