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The present work was envisaged to study the interplaying role of NSAIDs and colonic plasma membrane dynamics in combating the carcinogen (1,2- dimethylhydrazine) induced colon carcinogenesis in a rat model. In this work we report that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) modulates the membrane lipid composition and biophysical parameters (such as membrane fluidity, membrane phase state and membrane polarity) of the colonic membranes which are found to be associated with the anti-proliferative actions during the DMH induced colon carcinogenesis in rat model. NSAIDs mediated apoptosis involves alteration in the sodium-proton exchange activity at a membrane level which is a crucial step for further initiating the various cytoplasmic events favorable for achieving the arrest of cellular proliferation or apoptosis. Our resluts open new possibilities towards our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the chemopreventive actions of NSAIDs and can be higly relevant in providing some insight into the usefulness of NSAIDs as a potential chemopreventive agents.

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Dr Shailender S. Kanwar has done his Ph.D in Membrane Physiology/Cancer Biophysics at Panjab University, India. Dr Kanwar is currently with Wayne State University- School of Medicine, Michigan. His current research efforts focus on the fundamental questions in cancer stem cell biology and identifying agents with anti-cancer stem cell activity.

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