Immunolocalization of neurokinin 1 receptor in WHO grade 4 astrocytomas, oral squamous cell and urothelial carcinoma (original) (raw)

Intense expression of Neurokinin-1 Receptor is associated with Urothelial carcinoma

2020

ABSTRACTI+ntroductionSubstance P (SP)/ Neurokinin-1 Receptor (NK-1R), induces inflammatory reactions in peripheral tissues but its regulatory effects in target tissues are dependent on receptor signaling. SP has a high affinity for the NK-1 receptor, to which it binds preferentially. SP/NK-1R complex plays a key role in the interaction in the onset of pain and inflammation.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the expression of NK-1R in Urotheilial carcinoma and its association with cancer progression.MethodThe study included ten biopsy samples of Urinary bladder, obtained retrospectively from a tertiary care hospital of Lahore. An Immunohistochemical study was performed using monoclonal antibodies against NK-1R. The presence or absence of staining and the intensity of the immunoreactivity were noted, as well as the number and type of cells. Evaluation of the Immunohistochemical expression was determined by the semi-quantitative method and scored.ResultNK-1 receptor was ...

The Neurokinin-1 Receptor Is Essential for the Viability of Human Glioma Cells: A Possible Target for Treating Glioblastoma

BioMed Research International

Background. Glioblastoma or glioma is the most common malignant brain tumor. Patients have a prognosis of approximately 15 months, despite the current aggressive treatment. Neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R) occurs naturally in human glioma, and it is necessary for the tumor development. Objective. The purpose of the study was to increase the knowledge about the involvement of the substance P (SP)/NK-1R system in human glioma. Methods. Cellular localization of NK-1R and SP was studied in GAMG and U-87 MG glioma cell lines by immunofluorescence. The contribution of both SP and NK-1R to the viability of these cells was also assessed after applying the tachykinin 1 receptor (TAC1R) or the tachykinin 1 (TAC1) small interfering RNA gene silencing method, respectively. Results. Both SP and the NK-1R (full-length and truncated isoforms) were localized in the nucleus and cytoplasm of GAMG and U-87 MG glioma cells. The presence of full-length NK-1R isoform was mainly observed in the nucleus, whil...

Neurokinin-1 Receptor (NK-1R) Antagonists: Potential Targets in the Treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme

Current Medicinal Chemistry, 2021

The current standard of care in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), as the most morbid brain tumor, is not adequate, despite substantial progress in cancer therapy. Among patients receiving current standard treatments, including surgery, irradiation, and chemotherapy, the overall survival (OS) period with GBM is less than one year. The high mortality frequency of GBM is due to its aggressive nature, including accelerated growth, deregulated apoptosis, and invasion into surrounding tissues. The understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of GBM is, therefore, crucial for identifying, designing, and repurposing potential agents in future therapeutic approaches. In recent decades, it has been apparent that several neurotransmitters, specifically substance P (SP), an undecapeptide in the family of neuropeptides tachykinins, are found in astrocytes. After binding to the neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R), the SP controls cancer cell growth, exerts antiapoptotic impacts, stimulates cell invasion/me...

Neurokinin-1 Receptor (NK-1R) Antagonists as a New Strategy to Overcome Cancer Resistance

Cancers

Nowadays, the identification of new therapeutic targets that allow for the development of treatments, which as monotherapy, or in combination with other existing treatments can contribute to improve response rates, prognosis and survival of oncologic patients, is a priority to optimize healthcare within sustainable health systems. Recent studies have demonstrated the role of Substance P (SP) and its preferred receptor, Neurokinin 1 Receptor (NK-1R), in human cancer and the potential antitumor activity of NK-1R antagonists as an anticancer treatment. In this review, we outline the relevant studies published to date regarding the SP/NK-1R complex as a key player in human cancer and also evaluate if the repurposing of already marketed NK-1R antagonists may be useful in the development of new treatment strategies to overcome cancer resistance.

Substance P activates responses correlated with tumour growth in human glioma cell lines bearing tachykinin NK1 receptors

British journal of cancer, 1999

The neuropeptide substance P (SP), by stimulating tachykinin NK1 receptors (NK1R), triggers a number of biological responses in human glioma cells which are potentially relevant for tumour growth. First, radioligand binding studies demonstrated the presence of tachykinin NK1R on SNB-19, DBTRG-05 MG and U373 MG, but not on U138 MG and MOG-G-GCM human glioma cell lines. Second, application of SP or neurokinin A (NKA) to NK1R+ glioma cell lines increased the secretion of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and potentiated IL-6 secretion induced by IL-1beta. SP also up-regulated the release of transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) by the U373 MG glioma cell line. Third, SP induced new DNA synthesis and enhanced the proliferation rate of NK1R+, but not of NK1R- glioma cell lines. Also, NKA stimulated the proliferation and cytokine secretion in NK1R+ glioma cell lines. All the stimulant effects of SP/NKA on NK1R+ glioma cell lines were completely blocked by a specific tachykinin NK1R antagonist, ...

Neurokinin-1 receptor expression and its potential effects on tumor growth in human pancreatic cancer

Laboratory investigation; a journal of technical methods and pathology, 2003

The neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R) and its ligand substance P (SP) are involved in the pathogenesis of certain neural tumors. Because nerves are significantly altered in pancreatic cancer, evidence for alteration of this pathway in human pancreatic cancer was sought. Expression of NK-1R was analyzed by real-time quantitative RT-PCR, in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot analysis in normal human pancreatic and pancreatic cancer tissue samples and in pancreatic cancer cell lines. Furthermore, the influence of SP analogs and of the NK-1R antagonist MEN 11467 on pancreatic cancer cell growth was analyzed by sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay. By real-time quantitative RT-PCR, NK-1R mRNA was increased 36.7-fold (p < 0.001) in human pancreatic cancer samples compared with normal controls. Enhanced NK-1R expression levels were not related to tumor grade but were associated with advanced tumor stage and poorer prognosis. By in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry,...

Prognostic Significance of Substance P and Neurokinin-1 Receptor in Bladder Cancer

Reports of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Background: Bladder cancer is one of the most common genitourinary cancers with significant mortality. Finding reliable tumor markers and potential drug targets can improve early diagnosis, prognosis, and more effective therapeutic protocols. Previous studies have reported the involvement of the substance P (SP)/neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R) system in cancers. The potential prognostic role and the interaction of SP and NK-1R in bladder tumor are yet to be elucidated. Methods: Serum samples from 22 primarily diagnosed patients with bladder cancer as well as 22 healthy controls were examined for SP level using ELISA method. Tissue distribution of NK-1R in tumor samples and their adjacent normal tissues was evaluated through immunohistochemistry. Results: Serum SP levels in patients with bladder cancer were higher than the healthy group (p< 0.001) and had a significant correlation with NK-1R staining intensity (p< 0.001), percentage of stained cells (p< 0.001), and NK-1R tissue distribution. Also, the immunoreactivity of NK-1R in cancer samples increased significantly without correlation with tumor characteristics. However, no significant association was found between SP and NK-1R levels with clinical characteristics including tumor size (p= 0.33), tumor stage (p= 0.29), grade (p= 0.93), NK-1R staining intensity (p= 0.53), and percentage of stained cells (p= 0.32). Conclusions: According to our findings, despite the lack of association between SP and NK-1R with clinical characteristics of bladder cancer, their serum levels were higher in patients with bladder cancer. Further studies are needed to confirm the potential prognostic role of SP and NK-1R in bladder cancer.

Differential consequences of neurokinin receptor 1 and 2 antagonists in metastatic breast carcinoma cells; Effects independent of Substance P

Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 2018

Introduction: The biological action of Substance P (SP) is mediated mainly by NK-1 receptors (NK1R) followed by NK2 receptors (NK2R). Aberrant expression of NK1R and NK2R has been identified in various carcinomas. The role of Substance P and its receptors, especially NK2R in cancer progression is not entirely known and there are conflicting results in the literature demonstrating the need for further investigation. In the current study, we examined the effects of SP and antagonists selective for the NK1R and NK2R in breast carcinoma cells metastasize to vital organs. Methods: The effects of highly potent and selective non-peptide mouse NK1R and NK2R antagonists RP 67,580 and GR 159897, respectively, as well as SP and SP methyl ester, on both metastatic (4THM, 4TBM, 4TLM, 4T1) and non-metastatic (67NR) breast cancer cells were determined. Results: NK1R and NK2R were over expressed in metastatic breast cells compared to non-metastatic cells. The NK1R antagonist at a 30 μM dose inhibited cell growth and induced cell death in metastatic cells while enhancing phosphorylation of Akt, the latter response not observed in the non-metastatic 67NR cells. Blocking the action of SP at the NK2R (30 μM antagonist) suppressed cellular proliferation in all the cell lines examined, with a response less prominent than that of the NK1R antagonist. Differently, the NK2R antagonist increased phosphorylation of p38 and enhanced MIP-2 secretion. SP and the SP methyl ester neither altered cell proliferation nor the effects of NK1R and NK2R antagonists in the metastatic cell lines. Conclusions: Increased sensitivity of metastatic breast carcinoma cells to NK1R and NK2R antagonists suggest potential therapeutic value of antagonists in metastatic disease. NK1R and NK2R in metastatic breast carcinoma cells react differently to agonists and antagonists. These findings together with previously published data demonstrate that differential consequences of receptor antagonists and SP may inhibit breast cancer growth and metastasis.

Involvement of substance P and the NK-1 receptor in cancer progression

Peptides, 2013

Many data suggest the deep involvement of the substance P (SP)/neurokinin (NK)-1 receptor system in cancer: (1) Tumor cells express SP, NK-1 receptors and mRNA for the tachykinin NK-1 receptor; (2) Several isoforms of the NK-1 receptor are expressed in tumor cells; (3) the NK-1 receptor is involved in the viability of tumor cells; (4) NK-1 receptors are overexpressed in tumor cells in comparison with normal ones and malignant tissues express more NK-1 receptors than benign tissues; (5) Tumor cells expressing the most malignant phenotypes show an increased percentage of NK-1 receptor expression; (6) The expression of preprotachykinin A is increased in tumor cells in comparison with the levels found in normal cells; (7) SP induces the proliferation and migration of tumor cells and stimulates angiogenesis by increasing the proliferation of endothelial cells; (8) NK-1 receptor antagonists elicit the inhibition of tumor cell growth; (9) The specific antitumor action of NK-1 receptor antagonists on tumor cells occurs through the NK-1 receptor; (10) Tumor cell death is due to apoptosis; (11) NK-1 receptor antagonists inhibit the migration of tumor cells and neoangiogenesis. The NK-1 receptor is a therapeutic target in cancer and NK-1 receptor antagonists could be considered as broad-spectrum antitumor drugs for the treatment of cancer. It seems that a common mechanism for cancer cell proliferation mediated by SP and the NK-1 receptor is triggered, as well as a common mechanism exerted by NK-1 receptor antagonists on tumor cells, i.e. apoptosis.

Substance P and Neurokinin 1 Receptor in Chronic Inflammation and Cancer of the Head and Neck: A Review of the Literature

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021

Head and neck cancer is a growing worldwide public health problem, accounting for approximately 1,500,000 new cases and 500,000 deaths annually. Substance P (SP) is a peptide of the tachykinin family, which has roles related to a large number of physiological mechanisms in humans. The implications of SP in carcinogenesis have recently been reported through the stimulation of the neurokinin 1 receptor (NK1R), or directly, through the effects derived from the constitutive activation of NK1R. Consequently, SP/NK1R seems to play relevant roles in cancer, upregulating cell proliferation, cell migration and chronic inflammation, among other oncogenic actions. Furthermore, there is growing evidence pointing to a central role for SP in tumour progression, singularly so in laryngeal and oral squamous cell carcinomas. The current narrative review of the literature focuses on the relationship between the SP/NK1R system and chronic inflammation and cancer in the head-and-neck region. We describ...