ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects of celecoxib on the cell proliferation and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma line.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>3-[ 4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) test was used to investigate the cell proliferation. Flow cytometry (FCM) was used to analyze the cell cycle arrest. Immunocytochemistry technique was to observe the expression of VEGF.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Celecoxib inhibited the growth of nasopharyngeal carcinoma line, the cell number of G0/G1 phase increased from 62.13% to 91.35%, and the cell number of G2/M and S phase decreased from 21.59% to 3.56% and from 16.28% to 5.01%, respectively, cell cycle progression was arrested at G1/S phase. Celecoxib decreased the positive expression of VEGF in HNE-1 cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Celecoxib inhibited the proliferation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma significantly and the expression of VEGF.</p>