Compare the effect of ginger extract and aspirin on COX-2 gene expression in colon cancer cell line HT-29

Colon cancer is the third most prevalent cancer in Iran. Prolonged colon inflammation is an important factor, in the development of colon cancer. Ginger has anti-inflammatory properties due to its content of [6]-gingerol and hence can play a role in the prevention of colon cancer. In this research the effects of ginger extract on reducing expression of the Cox-2 gene in HT-29 cells was studied in colon cancer.

In this laboratory research, HT-29 cells of colon cancer were and the cells were trypsinated at the third passage and 5000 of them were cultured in the wells of 96-well plates. Ginger extract at four concentrations (10, 20, 30, and 40 mg/mL) was added to the wells, and the plates were incubated at 37˚C for 24, 48, and 72 hours in a 5% Co2 atmosphere. To study the effects of ginger extract on the cells, the MTT test was performed and the densities of the plates were read using an ELISA instrument. Total cellular RNA was extracted and expression of the COX-2 gene was investigated using the RT-PCR method.

The measured IC50 concentration of the ginger extract was 20 mg/ml. Determination of the expression of the COX-2 gene using the RT-PCR method indicated that the ginger extract at 20 mg/ml reduced expression of the COX-2 gene compared to using Aspirin. Therefore, ginger extract could be used as an anti-inflammatory drug against the HT-29 cells of colon cancer.  Reduction of inflammation is important in patients with colon cancer, and results of this research indicated use of ginger extract could play an important role in decreasing inflammation and in reducing the expression of the COX-2 gene, which has a significant role in the synthesis of prostaglandins and in causing inflammation.