Tranilast (N-(3,4-dimethoxycinnamoyl) anthranilic acid) down-regulates the growth of scirrhous gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Fibroblasts have been reported to play an important role in the proliferation of scirrhous gastric cancer cells. It would be an effective cancer therapy to reduce the cancer-stimulating activity of fibroblasts. The aim of the present investigation was to define the efficacy of Tranilast (N-(3,4-dimethoxycinnamoyl) anthranilic acid), a drug used clinically for the treatment of excessive proliferation of fibroblasts, on the growth of scirrhous gastric carcinoma both in vitro and in vivo.

MATERIALS AND METHOD: The human scirrhous gastric cancer cell line, OCUM-2M, and the human gastric fibroblasts, NF-8, were used. OCUM-2M cells on the upper well and NF-8 cells in the lower well were co-incubated with Tranilast at the required concentrations in vitro. The in vivo effect of Tranilast was examined by measuring the size and the apoptotic index of coinoculated tumor by OCUM-2M cells and NF-8 cells.

RESULTS: The proliferation of OCUM-2M cells was significantly stimulated by co-culture with NF-8 cells. Tranilast significantly suppressed the proliferation of NF-8 cells and subsequently decreased the growth of OCUM-2M cells in vitro. Furthermore, Tranilast depressed gastric carcinoma growth and induced cancer cell apoptosis through its effect in blocking the growth-interactions between fibroblasts and scimbous gastric cancer cells in vivo.

CONCLUSION: Tranilast is a useful drug to reduce the proliferation of scirrhous gastric carcinoma.