Inhibition of extracellular-signal regulated kinases 1/2 is required for apoptosis of human colon cancer cells in vitro by sulindac metabolites.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) including sulindac have shown potent chemopreventive and tumor regressive effects against colorectal cancer, the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. However, the mechanisms by which sulindac inhibits tumor cell growth are not completely understood. We previously reported that sulindac metabolites inhibit the mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK/ERK) signaling cascade in colorectal cancer cell lines at doses that induce apoptosis, and inhibition of MEK/ERK activity with U0126 is sufficient to induce apoptotic cell death. To determine whether inhibition of MEK/ERK activity is necessary for sulindac-induced apoptosis of human colon cancer cells, stable transfectants were created that express an activated MEK1 gene in HT29 cells. HT29-MEK1(R4F) clones displayed a 10- to 20-fold increase in MEK1 activity compared with control HT29-pCEP4 clones. When compared with control HT29-pCEP4 clones, HT29-MEK1(R4F) clones were resistant to both apoptosis and inhibition of ERK1/2 phosphorylation induced by sulindac metabolites. These results suggest that inhibition of MEK/ERK signaling is necessary for the induction of apoptosis by sulindac metabolites.