Effects of a Selective COX-2 Inhibitor Celecoxib and Soy-Isoflavones on Molecular Markers Related to Apoptosis, and COX-2 and Mapkinase Expression in Estrogen-Fed Rats

Effects of a Selective COX-2 Inhibitor Celecoxib and Soy-Isoflavones on Molecular Markers Related to Apoptosis, and COX-2 and Mapkinase Expression in Estrogen-Fed Rats

The present study examined the effects of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor celecoxib or soy-isoflavones in the presence of estrogen on apoptosis related gene expression, COX-2 and mapkinase in 48-week old female rats. Expressions of bel-2 and bax proteins, which are known to be involved in the regulation of apoptosis, were investigated in mammary glands and heart tissues. The elevated expression of bel-2 expression was observed in mammary glands of celecoxib supplemented rats as well as soy-isoflavones. The mammary glands bel-2/bax ratio was found to be higher in celecoxib or soy-isoflavones supplemented rats. However, in heart tissues, expression of bel-2 and bax was in the order of control, celecoxib and soy-isoflavones. The up-regulation of COX-2 was observed in celecoxib or soy-isoflavones in mammary glands. 'The similar trend was not displayed with the mapkinase expression. In heart tissues, the down-regulation of COX-2 as well as mapkinase was observed in celecoxib or soy-isoflavones supplemented rats. Soy-isoflavones and celecoxib both had a similar regulatory pattern of bel-2, bax and COX-2 in mammary glands, and in heart tissues, only COX-2 exhibited a similar down-regulatory properly. These findings revealed that in estrogen sufficient state, celecoxib and soy-isoflavones might not exhibit proapoptotic potential or COX-2 inhibition in normal mammary glands.