Objective: To explore an anti-tumor effect of indomethacin on human colon adenocarcinoma cell line HCT116, and its mechanism.
Methods: MTT, agarose gel electrophoresis, TdT and flow cytometry were used to study cell proliferation and apoptosis.
Results: Indomethacin significantly inhibited the proliferation of HCT116 cells and induced apoptosis with a "dose-time" dependent pattern. A synergic effect of inhibiting cancer cells proliferation was observed when combined with 5-Fu.
Conclusion: Inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis contribute to the mechanisms for anti-tumor activity of indomethacin.