COX-2 Gene increases tongue cancer cell proliferation and invasion through VEGF-C pathway.

COX-2 induces the proliferation and invasion of oral squamous cell carcinoma. In the present study, the role of the COX-2 gene in the tongue cancer cell proliferation and invasion was investigated. A short hairpin RNA (shRNA)method was used to knock down COX-2 gene expression and investigate the relationship between COX-2 and VEGF-C, and the role of the COX-2 gene for proliferation and invasion was also investigated in the tongue cancer cell Tca8113. COX-2 gene overexpressed in tongue cancer cell line. Suppressing the expression of COX-2 by shRNA could decrease cell proliferation comparing with control shRNA. Nevertheless, depressing COX-2 gene expression by shRNA reduced VEGF-C expression on both mRNA and protein levels. VEGF-C gene expression could be regulated by COX-2 gene. Our results suggested that COX-2 played essential roles in the proliferation and metastasis of tongue cancer, and COX-2 could serve as a potential chemotherapy target for tongue cancer.