Inhibition of cell proliferation and invasion in a human colon cancer cell line by 5-aminosalicylic acid

Background: 5-Aminosalicylic acid lacks the well-known side effects associated with the long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. We investigated anti-carcinogenic mechanisms of 5-aminosalicylic acid on a colon cancer cell line. Methods: MTT analysis was performed for various colon cancer cell lines. The expression of NF-κB and metalloproteinases was examined in either HT-29 cells treated with IL-1β and/or 5-aminosalicylic acid. Matrigel assay was used to evaluate invasive potential of HT-29 cells. Analysis of a cDNA microarray containing 8700 genes was performed to identify the alteration of gene expression in response to treatment to 5-aminosalicylic acid. Results: The use of MTT analysis showed that 5-aminosalicylic acid suppressed the growth of HT-29 cells. The activity of NF-κB was also decreased by combined-treatment with IL-1β and 5-aminosalicylic acid. The use of an ELISA and zymography demonstrated that MMP-2 and MMP-9 enzyme activity were decreased in HT-29 cells by treatment with various concentration of 5-aminosalicylic acid. A matrigel analysis demonstrated that 5-aminosalicylic acid treatment on HT-29 significantly inhibited the invasiveness of the cells. In cDNA microarray, 163 genes following 5-aminosalicylic acid exposure showed altered expression. Conclusions: This study indicated that 5-aminosalicylic acid suppresses the growth of human colon cancer cells and is able to inhibit MMPs expression via NF-κB mediated cell signals and invasiveness.