Regulation of Expression and Potential Carcinogenic Role of Cyclooxygenase-2

Abstract

Cyclooxygenase (COX, EC 1.14.99.1), also referred to as prostaglandin (PG) endoperoxide H synthase, is the rate-limiting enzyme in the PG biosynthetic pathway. COX catalyzes the oxidation of arachidonic acid (AA) into PGG2, and further reduction to PGH2 (1) PGH2 is then converted by specific isomerases (2–5) to the biologically active end products, PGD2, PGE2, PGF2α, PGI2 (prostacyclin), and other related eicosanoids. These prostanoids contribute to many normal physiological processes including inflammation, pain and fever, and various cancers (6–12).