Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 plays an important role in the development of various cancers due to its angiogenic function. We have demonstrated that the expression of COX-2 was up-regulated in human renal cell carcinoma (RCC), bladder tumor (BT) and prostate cancer (PC). In this study, we examined the effects of COX-2 inhibitors on cell proliferation in RCC, BT and PC-derived cell lines using MTT assay and Hoechst staining. COX-2 inhibitors did not induce a reduction of cell viability with the half-maximal concentration of growth inhibition of RCC, BT and PC cell lines. Furthermore, counting cells at days 1, 2 and 3, showed no inhibition of cell proliferation using COX-2 inhibitors. COX-2 inhibitors could not stop the growth of RCC, BT and PC cells. Typical characteristics of apoptosis, i.e. chromatin condensation, cellular shrinkage, small membrane-bound bodies (apoptotic bodies) and cytoplasmic condensation, did not occur. Although the expression of COX-2 was up-regulated in human RCC, BT and PC tissues, COX-2 inhibitors have only slight anti-proliferative effects against RCC, BT and PC cells through differentiation. Thus, using only down-regulation of arachnidonic acid (AA) metabolizing enzyme, COX may be an unsuccessful approach in providing new anti-cancer therapies.

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