Celecoxib

Celecoxib is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used in the treatment of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, acute pain, painful menstruation and menstrual symptoms, and to reduce numbers of colon and rectum polyps in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis. It is marketed by Pfizer under the brand name Celebrex. In some countries, it is branded Celebra. Celecoxib is available by prescription in capsule form. (In Vitro) :The selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor Celecoxib (10-75 μM) inhibits the proliferation of the NPC cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. Celecoxib (25 and 50 μM) induces apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest at the G0/G1 checkpoint in the NPC cell lines, which is associated with significantly reduced STAT3 phosphorylation. The genes downstream of STAT3 (ie, Survivin, Mcl-1, Bcl-2 and Cyclin D1) are significantly down-regulated after exposure to Celecoxib (25 and 50 μM) .Targeting the YAP/TAZ transcriptional target cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) using celecoxib inhibits cell proliferation and tumorigenesis in NF2 mutant cells. (In Vivo) :Celecoxib demonstrates potent, oral anti-inflammatory activity. Celecoxib reduces acute inflammation in the carrageenan edema assay with an ED50 of 7.1 mg/kg and reduces chronic inflammation in the adjuvant arthritis model with an ED50 of 0.37 mg/kg/day. In addition, Celecoxib also exhibits analgesic activity in the Hargreaves hyperalgesia model with an ED50 of 34.5 mg/kg. Celecoxib has potency equivalent to that of standard nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), yet shows no acute GI toxicity in rats at doses up to 200 mg/kg. In addition, it displays no chronic GI toxicity in rats at doses up to 600 mg/kg/day over 10 days. In the KpB mice fed a high fat diet (obese) and treated with Celecoxib, tumor weight decreases by 66% when compare with control animals. Among KpB mice fed a low fat diet (non-obese), tumor weight decreases by 46% after treatment with Celecoxib. Rat models are orally administrated with Celecoxib (20 mg/kg) and/or intramuscularly with Fasudil (10 mg/kg) for 2 weeks. Results demonstrates that the combined use of Celecoxib and fasudil significantly decreases COX-2 and Rho kinase II expression surrounding the lesion site in rats with spinal cord injury, improves the pathomorphology of the injured spinal cord, and promoted the recovery of motor function.