OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of a knockdown of cyclooxygenase 2 upon the growth and migration of SaOS2 cells. METHODS: We employed lentivirus mediated-RNA interference technology to knockdown the endogenous expression of gene COX-2 in human osteosarcoma cells (SaOS2) and analyzed their phenotypical changes. The effects of COX-2 silencing on the proliferation, cell cycle and migration of SaOS2 cells were assessed by thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide, flow cytometry and migration assays respectively. COX-2, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) mRNA and protein expression were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot. RESULTS: A decreased expression of COX-2 in human osteosarcoma cells significantly inhibited the growth and decreased the migration ability of SaOS2 cells. Furthermore, it also reduced VEGF, EGF and bFGF mRNA and protein expression. CONCLUSION: The COX-2 signaling pathway may provide a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of human osteosarcoma.
OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of a knockdown of cyclooxygenase 2 upon the growth and migration of SaOS2 cells. METHODS: We employed lentivirus mediated-RNA interference technology to knockdown the endogenous expression of gene COX-2 in humanosteosarcoma cells (SaOS2) and analyzed their phenotypical changes. The effects of COX-2 silencing on the proliferation, cell cycle and migration of SaOS2 cells were assessed by thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide, flow cytometry and migration assays respectively. COX-2, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) mRNA and protein expression were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot. RESULTS: A decreased expression of COX-2 in humanosteosarcoma cells significantly inhibited the growth and decreased the migration ability of SaOS2 cells. Furthermore, it also reduced VEGF, EGF and bFGF mRNA and protein expression. CONCLUSION: The COX-2 signaling pathway may provide a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of humanosteosarcoma.