Role of inducible nitric oxyde synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma

The function of NO in tumour biology is not clear, since it has multifactorial role. The reaction with superoxide causes the formation of peroxynitrite, which is a powerful oxidant and cytotoxic agent and may play an important role in the cellular damage associated with the overproduction of NO. It is likely that the increased expression of iNOS and the corresponding high release of NO may play an important role in pancreatic cancer. Our finding indicate that COX-2 up-regulation and the expression of iNOS in pancreatic cancer, not seen in normal tissue, paralleled the significant increase of in PGE2 and NO may play a role in the pathogenesis of human pancreatic adenocarcinomas and suggest that COX-2 and iNOS may be a target for prevention or treatment of pancreatic carcinomas.