Celecoxib upregulates ULBP-1 expression in lung cancer cells via the JNK/PI3K signaling pathway and increases susceptibility to natural killer cell cytotoxicity

Lung cancer has the highest cancer mortality rate in the world, and effective therapies are still required. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is highly expressed in numerous types of cancer, and is therefore considered a possible target of cancer treatment. Celecoxib, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, has binding pockets that interact with COX-2 and disrupt its enzymatic activities. In addition, celecoxib is able to affect cellular functions in a COX-2-independent manner. The present study aimed to investigate if celecoxib affected natural killer (NK) cell receptors and susceptibility to NK cell toxicity. For this purpose, PCR, immunoblotting, flow cytometry analysis and NK cell cytotoxicity assays were performed. The present study revealed that sublethal concentrations of celecoxib increased the expression levels of UL16-binding protein 1 (ULBP-1), a natural-killer group 2 member D (NKG2D) ligand, in lung cancer A549 and H460 cell lines. ULBP-1 mRNA and protein expression was induced in a dose- and time-dependent manner after celecoxib treatment. Expression levels of other NKG2D ligands, such as ULBP-2, ULBP-3, MHC class I-related chain A (MICA) and MICB did not change considerably compared to ULBP-1 in response to celecoxib treatment. Fluorescence microscopic images revealed abundant ULBP-1 in the cytoplasm after celecoxib treatment. Both JNK and PI3K may be involved in the induction of ULBP-1 expression after celecoxib treatment in A549 and H460 cells. In a NK cytotoxicity assay, celecoxib increased the sensitivity to NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity via interaction with ULBP-1 in lung cancer cells. Overall, the present results demonstrated that celecoxib treatment induced ULBP-1 expression in lung cancer cells, thereby increasing their susceptibility to NK cell cytotoxicity. These results suggest that the effects of conventional anticancer therapy may potentially be enhanced by using celecoxib, which targets COX-2, to enhance the sensitivity of lung cancer cells to NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity.