Sulfasalazine (NSC 667219, Azulfidine, Salazopyrin, Sulphasalazine) is a sulfa derivative of mesalazine, used as an anti-inflammatory agent to treat bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Sulfasalazine is a potent and specific inhibitor ofnuclear factor In vitro
Sulfasalazine, like methotrexate, enhances adenosine release at an inflamed site and that adenosine diminishes inflammation via occupancy of A2 receptors on inflammatory cells. Sulfasalazine treatment for 4 hours inhibits kappaB-dependent transcription with an IC50 value of approximately 0.625 mM. Sulfasalazine (2.5 mM) results in cell death of T-lymphocytes in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Sulfasalazine but not 5ASA or sulfapyridine, strongly inhibits NF-kappaB activation and potently induces apoptosis in T-lymphocytes. Sulfasalazine is cleaved into sulfapyridine and 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA; mesalamine) by colonic bacteria, and the latter, too, is reported to suppress NF-kappaB activity. Sulfasalazine but not its cleaved form 5-ASA causes a dose-dependent inhibition of glioma growth, this effect is entirely attributable to the inhibition of cystine uptake via the system x(c)(-) cystine-glutamate transporter. Sulfasalazine inhibits cystine uptake causing a chronic depletion of intracellular GSH and consequently compromised cellular redox defense which stymied tumor growth.
In vivo
Sulfasalazine markedly decreases the number of leukocytes that accumulated in the inflamed (carrageenan, 2 mg/ml) air pouch in the murine air pouch model of inflammation. Sulfasalazine treatment promotes a marked increase in splenocyte 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamidoribonucleotide (AICAR) concentration, which is consistent with the in vitro observation that sulfasalazine inhibits AICAR transformylase. Cell Data
cell lines：p110β-reliant PTEN-deficient PC3 prostate and BT549 and HCC70 breast cancer cell lines.
