Cyclooxygenase- 2 (COX-2) is an inducible enzyme that is not found in normal conditions,. but is induced by a varie ty of pathophysiologic conditions of tissues by growth factors. inflammatory stimuli. oncogenes and tumor promoters, COX-2 is upregulated in a number of epithelial cancers. including in oral premalignant and malignant lesions, The mode of action of COX-2 in carcinogenesis may include mutiple mechanisms that may be acting at different stages of malignant disease, In this study. the expression of COX- 2 protein was assessed quantitatively 없d qualitatively by immunohistochemistry during DMBA-induced hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis, The immunoreactivity for COX-2 protein increased as the tissue passed from hyperplasia to dysplasia and SCC, The highest mean expression was SCC at 14 week, The differences between COX-2 expression in the normal and that the dysplastic and carcinomatous lesions was statistically significant, In addition. the mean values of COX -2 expression in the stromal cells increased gradually during malignant progression, The results suggest that increased COX-2 expression may be associated with the chemically induced carcinogenic progression of hamster buccal pouch model, The gradual increasing COX-2 expression de tected during the progressive manner toward more malignant lesions shows that the COX-2 protein can have an important role in both the early and the later stages of multistep oral carcinogenesis

Nitric oxide (NO) plays a key role in the processes of inflammation and carcinogenesis. Three isoforms of NO 야mthase have been identified: endothelial 띠띠c oxide 와nth앓e (NOS), neuronal NOS, and inducible NOS (이OS). The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of iNOS expression in 7, 12-dimethylbenz[alanthracene (DMBA)-induced hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis. Sixty three outbred young (6-week-old) male Syrian golden hamsters were randomly divided into three groups: DMBA treated group (n=57) and non-treated (n=3), and mineral-oil treated group (n=3). No iNOS activity could be detected in the untreated or mineral oil-treated pouches. 80th cytoplasmic and nuclear stainings were observed in the DMBA-treated pouch kera띠lCX까es. There were iNOS expression 외so in the strorna1 cells. The mean values of iNOS expression in the epithelium increased gradually from control to dysplastic lesions and more to invasive squ따nous cell carcinoma. πle clifference between iNOS expr'않sion in the normal and that the dysplastic and carcinomatous lesions is statistically significant. The mean values of iNOS expression in the stroma increased gradually from control to dysplastic lesions and more to invasive squamous cell carcinoma. The difference between iNOS expression in the normal and that the carcinomatous lesions is statistica11y si맑， ificant. In conclusion, this study has demonstrated that iNOS is expressed in DMBA-induced hamster pouch carcinomas. πlis finding suggests that iNOS expression may be associated with the development of chemically induced oral carcmomas.