Dobesilate inhibits the activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, and the expression of cyclin D1 and bcl-XL in glioma cells.

Objectives: Because fibroblast growth factor (FGF) causes the intracellular accumulation of activated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), we assessed whether dobesilate, a synthetic FGF inhibitor that has been reported to show antiproliferative and proapoptotic activities in glioma cell cultures, down-regulates the STAT3 signaling pathway in growing cultures of those cells. Because STAT3 signaling pathway plays pleiotropic roles in tumor proliferation, maintenance of STAT3 in its inactive state may prevent glioma growth and spreading.

Methods: Rat glioma C6 cells were treated with dobesilate and cultures were evaluated immunocytochemically for STAT3 activation and enhancement of the expression rate of cyclin D1 and bcl-XL.

Results: Dobesilate abrogates the accumulation of activated STAT3 in glioma cells. The decrease in the intracellular levels of activated STAT3 by the dobesilate treatment runs parallel with a significant attenuation of cyclin D1 and bcl-XL expression.

Conclusion: Treatment with inhibitors of FGF down-regulates the STAT3 signaling pathway. These alterations could be correlated to the already observed inhibition of cell proliferation and promotion of apoptosis in glioma cell cultures by dobesilate. The reported results may open new avenues for developing new treatments against these tumors.