Celecoxib, a cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 selective inhibitor, was approved as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), and this therapeutic application has been expanded to several other diseases, including colon cancer. Notably, a treatment strategy combining the use of celecoxib and radiation therapy has been employed for improving the control of local cancers. In this study, we examined the effect of celecoxib on irradiation-induced intestinal damage. The twenty four mice (BALB/c) were divided into four groups; 1) sham-irradiated control group, 2) celecoxib-treated group, 3) irradiated group, and 4) celecoxib-treated irradiation group. Mice were orally administered celecoxib at a dose of 25 mg/kg in a 0.1 mL volume, daily for 4 days after irradiation exposure (10 Gy). Then, histological examinations of the jejunal villous height, crypt survival, and crypt size were performed. The expression of COX-2 after administration of celecoxib in irradiated mice was examined by employing immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and qPCR analysis. The jejunal villi height and the crypt survival were reduced in the irradiation group compared with the sham-irradiated group. Celecoxib treatment in irradiation mice even more decreased those indicators. Crypt size was increased in the radiation group compared to the sham-irradiated control group, whereas the size was decreased in the celecoxibtreated irradiation group compared with the group exposed to the radiation injury. COX-2 expression was detected in the crypt of the small intestine, and COX-2 expression was increased in the crypt lesion following radiation exposure. However, COX-2 expression was reduced in the celecoxib-treated irradiation group. Therefore, in the present study, we confirmed that celecoxib treatment after irradiation aggravated the irradiation-induced intestinal damage. These results suggest that a caution need to be administered when celecoxib treatment is performed in combination with radiation therapy for cancer treatment.

Osteoporosis is a major worldwide public health problem that poses a great economic burden to society. Puerariae Radix, the dried root of Pueraria lobata (Wild.) Ohwi, has been widely used in Asia. This study investigated the effects of Puerariae Radix (PR) on bone loss in ovariectomized (OVX) mice. C3H/HeN mice (10 weeks old) were divided into sham and OVX groups. The OVX mice were treated with vehicle, 17β-estradiol (E2), PR (oral administration, 250 mg/ kg/day) or PR (intraperitoneal administration, 50 mg/ kg/every other day) for 6 weeks. Grip strength, uterus weight, serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), estradiol concentration and osteoclast surface levels were measured. Tibiae were analyzed using microcomputed tomography. There were no significant differences in the degree of grip strength, body weight and uterine weight between OVX group and PR-treated group. As compared with the OVX group, the serum estradiol levels were significantly increased in the PR-treated group. PR (i.p.) significantly preserved trabecular bone volume, trabecular bone number, structure model index and bone mineral density of proximal tibiae metaphysic. The administration of PR lowered serum ALP and osteoclast surface levels in OVX mice, suggesting that PR can reduce the bone turnover rate in mice. The results indicate that the supply of PR can prevent OVX-induced bone loss in mice.