ADT‐OH synergistically enhanced the antitumor activity of celecoxib in human colorectal cancer cells

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in the world, but the research on its prevention, early diagnosis and treatment is still a major challenge in clinical oncology. Thus, there is a pressing requirement to find effective strategies to improve the survival of colon cancer patients. METHODS: Celecoxib has been accounted to be an effective antitumor drug, but may exhibit significant side effects. In recent studies, 5‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐3H‐1,2‐dithiole‐3‐thione (ADT‐OH), one of the most commonly used reagents for the synthesis of sustained‐release H(2)S donors, has also been reported to inhibit cancer progression by affecting processes such as cell cycle, angiogenesis, and apoptosis. Therefore, we evaluated the therapeutic effect of the combination of ADT‐OH and celecoxib on colorectal cancer through in vitro and in vivo, hoping to achieve better therapeutic effect and reduce the effect of celecoxib on gastric injury through exogenous administration of H(2)S. RESULTS: Our results demonstrated that ADT‐OH combined with celecoxib synergistically inhibited the proliferation and migration ability of human colorectal cancer HCT116 cells, altered cell cycle and cytoskeleton, increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and promoted cell apoptosis. Noteworthy, in vivo studies also indicated the excellent antitumor therapeutic effect of the combination therapy without apparent toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: In general, our results provide a reasonable combination strategy of low‐dose ADT‐OH and celecoxib in the preclinical application of colorectal cancer.