Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Pharmacy - Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

The link between inflammation and cancer has been confirmed by the use of anti - inflammatory therapies in cancer prevention and treatment. In{uFB02}ammatory cells and mediators are present in the microenvironment of cancers epidemiologically related or unrelated to in{uFB02}ammatory or infectious conditions. 5 - Aminosalicylic acid (5 - ASA), an anti-inflammatory drug used in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, was shown to decrease the growth and survival of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. Metformin, an oral antidiabetic drug, decreased the incidence of colorectal adenomas in diabetic patients with previous CRC and induced apoptosis in several cancer cell lines. The aim of the present study was to investigate the combinatory effect of 5 - ASA and metformin on proliferation and inflammation - mediated progression of Caco - 2 and HCT - 116 colorectal cancer cell lines. In Caco - 2 and HCT - 116 cells, the expression of pro - inflammatory cytokines was determined by quantitative real time - PCR (qPCR) and the levels of transcription factors of the inflammatory signaling pathways were determined using the ELISA technique. Protein levels of Bax and Bcl - 2 were determined using western blotting and those of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) - 2 and - 9 by ELISA. Caspase - 3 activity, malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH) and nitric oxide contents were measured spectrophotometrically

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