Preclinical studies of antitumor prostaglandins by using human ovarian cancer cells.

Pleiotropic actions of antitumor prostaglandins (PGs) on tumor cells are reviewed including our preclinical results focused on human ovarian cancer. Regarding inhibition of cell proliferation, antitumor PGs exerts its action as a G1 blocking agent. The cyclopentenone PGs inhibit myc oncogene expression while inhibiting the cell cycle progression and results in apoptotic cell death and growth inhibition. Cyclopentenone PGs inhibit growth of various tumors transplanted to mice or nude mice and show adjuvant effects to cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (CDDP). In order to elucidate a role of antitumor PGs in immune systems, relevance of effects on tumor growth with those on the immune systems are also discussed with our results.