Potential suppressive effects of theophylline on human rectal cancer SW480 cells by inhibiting YKL-40 expression.

Chitinase-3-like-1 protein (YKL-40), a member of the mammalian chitinase-like glycoproteins, serves a key role in the pathogenesis of rectal cancer. The present study examined the antitumor effect of theophylline, a pan-chitinase inhibitor, in rectal cancer and investigated the mechanism by which it acted. SW480 cell lines were treated with varying theophylline concentrations (10, 10, 10 and 10 mol/l).