Docosahexaenoic acid sensitizes colon cancer cells to sulindac sulfide-induced apoptosis.

Sulindac analogs represent one of the most efficacious groups of NSAIDs reducing the risk of colon cancer. Recent studies have shown that sulindac sulfide, a sulindac analog effective at lower doses compared to its parent compound, triggers the death receptor (DR)5-dependent extrinsic apoptotic pathway. Induction of apoptosis via activation of the DR-mediated pathway would be an ideal therapeutic strategy to eliminate cancer cells.

Alpha-tocopheryl succinate sensitizes human colon cancer cells to exisulind-induced apoptosis.

Sulindac sulfone (also known as exisulind) and its chemical derivatives are promising anticancer agents capable of inducing apoptosis in a variety of malignant cell types with minimal toxicity to normal cells. Here, we tested the ability of alpha-tocopheryl succinate (TOS), another promising anticancer agent, to sensitize colon cancer cells to exisulind-induced apoptosis. We found that sub-apoptotic doses of TOS greatly enhanced exisulind-induced growth suppression and apoptosis in the HCT116, LoVo and SNU-C4 human colon cancer cell lines.