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Hong X, Ma J, Zheng S, Zhao G, Fu C. Advances in the research and application of neurokinin-1 receptor antagonists. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B 2024; 25:91-105. [PMID: 38303494 PMCID: PMC10835208 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.b2300455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Recently, the substance P (SP)/neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R) system has been found to be involved in various human pathophysiological disorders including the symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Besides, studies in the oncological field have demonstrated an intricate correlation between the upregulation of NK-1R and the activation of SP/NK-1R system with the progression of multiple carcinoma types and poor clinical prognosis. These findings indicate that the modulation of SP/NK-1R system with NK-1R antagonists can be a potential broad-spectrum antitumor strategy. This review updates the latest potential and applications of NK-1R antagonists in the treatment of human diseases and cancers, as well as the underlying mechanisms. Furthermore, the strategies to improve the bioavailability and efficacy of NK-1R antagonist drugs are summarized, such as solid dispersion systems, nanonization, and nanoencapsulation. As a radiopharmaceutical therapeutic, the NK-1R antagonist aprepitant was originally developed as radioligand receptor to target NK-1R-overexpressing tumors. However, combining NK-1R antagonists with other drugs can produce a synergistic effect, thereby enhancing the therapeutic effect, alleviating the symptoms, and improving patients quality of life in several diseases and cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyu Hong
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Junjie Ma
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Shanshan Zheng
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Guangyu Zhao
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Caiyun Fu
- College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
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Nguyen LP, Cho M, Nguyen TU, Park HK, Nguyen HT, Mykhailova K, Hurh S, Kim HR, Seong JY, Lee CS, Ham BJ, Hwang JI. Neurokinin-2 receptor negatively modulates substance P responses by forming complex with Neurokinin-1 receptor. Cell Biosci 2023; 13:212. [PMID: 37968728 PMCID: PMC10652611 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-023-01165-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tachykinins and their cognate receptors, neurokinin receptors (NKs) including NK1, NK2, and NK3 play vital roles in regulating various physiological processes including neurotransmission, nociception, inflammation, smooth muscle contractility, and stimulation of endocrine and exocrine gland secretion. Their abnormal expression has been reported to be associated with neurological disorders, inflammation, and cancer. Even though NKs are expressed in the same cells with their expression being inversely correlated in some conditions, there is no direct evidence to prove their interaction. Understanding the functional crosstalk between NKs in mediated downstream signaling and cellular responses may elucidate the roles of each receptor in pathophysiology. RESULTS In this study, we showed that NKs were co-expressed in some cells. However, different from NK3, which only forms homodimerization, we demonstrated a direct interaction between NK1 and NK2 at the protein level using co-immunoprecipitation and NanoBiT-based protein interaction analysis. Through heterodimerization, NK2 downregulated substance P-stimulated NK1 signals, such as intracellular Ca2+ mobilization and ERK phosphorylation, by enhancing β-arrestin recruitment, even at the ligand concentration that could not activate NK2 itself or in the presence of NK1 specific antagonist, aprepitant. In A549 cells with receptors deleted and reconstituted, NK2 exerted a negative effect on substance P/NK1-mediated cell migration. CONCLUSION Our study has provided the first direct evidence of an interaction between NK1 and NK2, which highlights the functional relevance of their heterodimerization in cellular responses. Our findings demonstrated that through dimerization, NK2 exerts negative effects on downstream signaling and cellular response mediated by NK1. Moreover, this study has significant implications for understanding the complexity of GPCR dimerization and its effect on downstream signaling and cellular responses. Given the important roles of tachykinins and NKs in pathophysiology, these insights may provide clues for developing NKs-targeting drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan Phuong Nguyen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Minyeong Cho
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Thai Uy Nguyen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee-Kyung Park
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Huong Thi Nguyen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kateryna Mykhailova
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sunghoon Hurh
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hong-Rae Kim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Young Seong
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Cheol Soon Lee
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung-Joo Ham
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Ik Hwang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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Coveñas R, Rodríguez FD, Robinson P, Muñoz M. The Repurposing of Non-Peptide Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists as Antitumor Drugs: An Urgent Challenge for Aprepitant. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15936. [PMID: 37958914 PMCID: PMC10650658 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242115936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The substance P (SP)/neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R) system is involved in cancer progression. NK-1R, activated by SP, promotes tumor cell proliferation and migration, angiogenesis, the Warburg effect, and the prevention of apoptosis. Tumor cells overexpress NK-1R, which influences their viability. A typical specific anticancer strategy using NK-1R antagonists, irrespective of the tumor type, is possible because these antagonists block all the effects mentioned above mediated by SP on cancer cells. This review will update the information regarding using NK-1R antagonists, particularly Aprepitant, as an anticancer drug. Aprepitant shows a broad-spectrum anticancer effect against many tumor types. Aprepitant alone or in combination therapy with radiotherapy or chemotherapy could reduce the sequelae and increase the cure rate and quality of life of patients with cancer. Current data open the door to new cancer research aimed at antitumor therapeutic strategies using Aprepitant. To achieve this goal, reprofiling the antiemetic Aprepitant as an anticancer drug is urgently needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Coveñas
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomy of the Peptidergic Systems, Institute of Neurosciences of Castilla y León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain;
- Group GIR-BMD (Bases Moleculares del Desarrollo), University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain;
| | - Francisco D. Rodríguez
- Group GIR-BMD (Bases Moleculares del Desarrollo), University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain;
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemical Sciences, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Prema Robinson
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control, and Employee Health, MD Anderson Cancer Center, The University of Texas, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Miguel Muñoz
- Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Research Laboratory on Neuropeptides (IBIS), Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, 41013 Seville, Spain;
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Liu N, Liu D, Li Y, Zhang X, He J, Jiang Y, Wang Y, Ma Y, Jin H, Shen L. Effects and mechanisms of substance P on the proliferation and angiogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells: Bioinformatics and in vitro experiments. Genomics 2023; 115:110679. [PMID: 37423397 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2023.110679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
The slight release of substance P (SP) from the end of peripheral nerve fibers causes a neurogenic inflammatory reaction, promotes vascular dilation and increases vascular permeability. However, whether SP can promote the angiogenesis of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) under high glucose conditions has not been reported. This study analyzed the targets, biological processes and molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of SP on BMSCs. BMSCs cultured in vitro were divided into a normal control group, high glucose control group, high glucose SP group and high glucose Akt inhibitor group to verify the effects of SP on BMSCs proliferation, migration and angiogenic differentiation. SP was found to act on 28 targets of BMSCs and participate in angiogenesis. Thirty-six core proteins, including AKT1, APP, BRCA1, CREBBP and EGFR, were identified. In a high glucose environment, SP increased the BMSCs proliferation optical density value and cell migration number and reduced the BMSCs apoptosis rate. In addition, SP induced BMSCs to highly express the CD31 protein, maintain the wall structure integrity of the matrix glue mesh and promote increases in the number of matrix glue meshes. These experiments showed that in a high glucose environment, SP acts on 28 targets of BMSCs that encode core proteins, such as AKT1, APP and BRCA1, and improves BMSCs proliferation, migration and angiogenic differentiation through the Akt signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Liu
- Department of Anatomy, Qiqihar Medical University, No. 333, Bukui North Street, Jianhua District, Qiqihar 161006, China
| | - Danyang Liu
- Department of Histology & Embryology, Qiqihar Medical University, No. 333, Bukui North Street, Jianhua District, Qiqihar 161006, China
| | - Yongtao Li
- Department of Anatomy, Qiqihar Medical University, No. 333, Bukui North Street, Jianhua District, Qiqihar 161006, China
| | - Xiaodong Zhang
- Department of Anatomy, Qiqihar Medical University, No. 333, Bukui North Street, Jianhua District, Qiqihar 161006, China
| | - Jun He
- Department of Anatomy, Qiqihar Medical University, No. 333, Bukui North Street, Jianhua District, Qiqihar 161006, China
| | - Yang Jiang
- Department of Anatomy, Qiqihar Medical University, No. 333, Bukui North Street, Jianhua District, Qiqihar 161006, China
| | - Yang Wang
- Department of physiology, Qiqihar Medical University, No. 333, Basic Medical Research Center, Bukui North Street, Jianhua District, Qiqihar 161006, China
| | - Yong Ma
- Department of Anatomy, Qiqihar Medical University, No. 333, Bukui North Street, Jianhua District, Qiqihar 161006, China
| | - Haifeng Jin
- Department of Anatomy, Qiqihar Medical University, No. 333, Bukui North Street, Jianhua District, Qiqihar 161006, China; Basic Medical Research Center, Qiqihar Medical University, No. 333, Bukui North Street, Jianhua District, Qiqihar 161006, China.
| | - Lei Shen
- Department of Anatomy, Qiqihar Medical University, No. 333, Bukui North Street, Jianhua District, Qiqihar 161006, China; Basic Medical Research Center, Qiqihar Medical University, No. 333, Bukui North Street, Jianhua District, Qiqihar 161006, China.
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Wang Y, Yuan S, Ma J, Liu H, Huang L, Zhang F. Substance P is overexpressed in cervical squamous cell carcinoma and promoted proliferation and invasion of cervical cancer cells <em>in vitro</em>. Eur J Histochem 2023; 67:3746. [PMID: 37522867 PMCID: PMC10476533 DOI: 10.4081/ejh.2023.3746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the expression and function of substance P in cervical squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer tissues and adjacent tissues of 20 patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma in our hospital were collected. The expression of substance P was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. Cervical squamous cell carcinoma line SiHa was treated with different concentrations of substance P. The proliferation of SiHa cells was detected by EdU assay, and the invasion ability of SiHa cells was detected by transwell assay. The phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and the expression of MMP9 were detected by Western blot analysis. The results showed that substance P was expressed in the cytoplasm and some cell membranes of cervical squamous cell carcinoma cells. The expression of substance P in cervical cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in the adjacent tissues. Compared with the control group, substance P significantly promoted the proliferation and invasion of SiHa cells in a concentration dependent manner and activated the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and upregulated the expression of MMP9 in SiHa cells. In conclusion, substance P is highly expressed in cervical squamous cell carcinoma and can promote cervical cancer cell proliferation and invasion. The mechanism is related to the activation of ERK1/2 pathway to upregulate MMP9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- Department of Gynecology, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang.
| | - Shifa Yuan
- Department of General Surgery, Hospital of Hebei Province Crop of Chinese Armed Police Force, Shijiazhuang.
| | - Jing Ma
- Department of Gynecology, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang.
| | - Hong Liu
- Department of Gynecology Oncology, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang.
| | - Lizhen Huang
- Department of Gynecology, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang.
| | - Fengzhen Zhang
- Department of Gynecology, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang.
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Cao X, Yang Y, Zhou W, Wang Y, Wang X, Ge X, Wang F, Zhou F, Deng X, Miao L. Aprepitant inhibits the development and metastasis of gallbladder cancer via ROS and MAPK activation. BMC Cancer 2023; 23:471. [PMID: 37221457 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-10954-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aprepitant, as a neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R) antagonist, originally applied for curing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, has been reported to have significant antitumor effect on several malignant tumors. However, the effect of aprepitant on gallbladder cancer (GBC) is not clear yet. This study aimed to investigate the anti-tumor activity of aprepitant on GBC and the potential mechanisms. METHODS The NK-1R expression of gallbladder cancer cells were examined by immunofluorescence. MTT assay, wound healing and transwell migration assay were applied to detect the effect of aprepitant on cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Flow cytometry was used to detect the apoptosis rate. The effects of aprepitant on the expressions of cytokine were examined by real-time quantitative PCR and MAPK activation were detected via immunofluorescence and western blotting. Besides, xenograft model was established to investigate the effect of aprepitant in vivo. RESULTS Our results indicated that NK-1R was markedly expressed in gallbladder cancer cells and aprepitant effectively inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion. Furthermore, the apoptosis, ROS and inflammation response were significantly boosted by aprepitant in GBC. Aprepitant induced NF-κB p65 nuclear translocationin and increased the expressions of p-P65, p-Akt, p-JNK, p-ERK and p-P38, as well as the mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α. Consistently, aprepitant suppressed the growth of GBC in xenograft mice model. CONCLUSION Our study demonstrated that aprepitant could inhibit the development of gallbladder cancer via inducing ROS and MAPK activation, which suggested that aprepitant may become a promising therapeutic drug against GBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyan Cao
- Medical Center for Digestive Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 121 Jiangjiayuan Road, Gulou District, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Medical Center for Digestive Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 121 Jiangjiayuan Road, Gulou District, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wei Zhou
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Medical Center for Digestive Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 121 Jiangjiayuan Road, Gulou District, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xue Wang
- Medical Center for Digestive Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 121 Jiangjiayuan Road, Gulou District, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xianxiu Ge
- Medical Center for Digestive Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 121 Jiangjiayuan Road, Gulou District, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Medical Center for Digestive Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 121 Jiangjiayuan Road, Gulou District, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Fangfang Zhou
- Burn and Plastic Surgery, Jiangsu University Affiliated Hospital, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Xueting Deng
- Medical Center for Digestive Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 121 Jiangjiayuan Road, Gulou District, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Lin Miao
- Medical Center for Digestive Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 121 Jiangjiayuan Road, Gulou District, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
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Tanaka K, Kondo T, Narita M, Muta T, Yoshida S, Sato D, Suda Y, Hamada Y, Shimizu T, Kuzumaki N, Narita M. Cancer aggravation due to persistent pain signals with the increased expression of pain-related mediators in sensory neurons of tumor-bearing mice. Mol Brain 2023; 16:19. [PMID: 36737827 PMCID: PMC9896755 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-023-01001-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A growing body of evidence suggests that intractable pain reduces both the quality of life and survival in cancer patients. In the present study, we evaluated whether chronic pain stimuli could directly affect cancer pathology using tumor-bearing mice. For this purpose, we used two different models of chronic pain in mice, neuropathic pain and persistent postsurgical pain, with Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) as tumor cells. We found that tumor growth was dramatically promoted in these pain models. As well as these pain models, tumor growth of LLC, severe osteosarcoma (AXT) and B16 melanoma cells was significantly promoted by concomitant activation of sensory neurons in AAV6-hM3Dq-injected mice treated with the designer drug clozapine-N-oxide (CNO). Significant increases in mRNA levels of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (Vegfa), tachykinin precursor 1 (Tac1) and calcitonin-related polypeptide alpha (Calca) in the ipsilateral side of dorsal root ganglion of AAV6-hM3Dq-injected mice were observed by concomitant activation of sensory neurons due to CNO administration. Moreover, in a model of bone cancer pain in which mice were implanted with AXT cells into the right femoral bone marrow cavity, the survival period was significantly prolonged by repeated inhibition of sensory neurons of AAV6-hM4Di-injected mice by CNO administration. These findings suggest that persistent pain signals may promote tumor growth by the increased expression of sensory-located peptides and growth factors, and controlling cancer pain may prolong cancer survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenichi Tanaka
- grid.412239.f0000 0004 1770 141XPresent Address: Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 142-8501 Japan ,grid.272242.30000 0001 2168 5385Division of Cancer Pathophysiology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045 Japan
| | - Takashige Kondo
- grid.412239.f0000 0004 1770 141XPresent Address: Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 142-8501 Japan
| | - Michiko Narita
- grid.272242.30000 0001 2168 5385Division of Cancer Pathophysiology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045 Japan
| | - Takeru Muta
- grid.412239.f0000 0004 1770 141XPresent Address: Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 142-8501 Japan
| | - Sara Yoshida
- grid.412239.f0000 0004 1770 141XPresent Address: Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 142-8501 Japan ,grid.272242.30000 0001 2168 5385Division of Cancer Pathophysiology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045 Japan
| | - Daisuke Sato
- grid.412239.f0000 0004 1770 141XPresent Address: Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 142-8501 Japan
| | - Yukari Suda
- grid.412239.f0000 0004 1770 141XPresent Address: Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 142-8501 Japan ,grid.272242.30000 0001 2168 5385Division of Cancer Pathophysiology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045 Japan
| | - Yusuke Hamada
- grid.412239.f0000 0004 1770 141XPresent Address: Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 142-8501 Japan ,grid.272242.30000 0001 2168 5385Division of Cancer Pathophysiology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045 Japan
| | - Takatsune Shimizu
- grid.412239.f0000 0004 1770 141XDepartment of Pathophysiology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 142-8501 Japan
| | - Naoko Kuzumaki
- Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 142-8501, Japan. .,Division of Cancer Pathophysiology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan.
| | - Minoru Narita
- Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 142-8501, Japan. .,Division of Cancer Pathophysiology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan.
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Guan L, Yuan S, Ma J, Liu H, Huang L, Zhang F. Neurokinin-1 receptor is highly expressed in cervical cancer and its antagonist induces cervical cancer cell apoptosis. Eur J Histochem 2023; 67. [PMID: 36629320 DOI: 10.4081/ejh.2023.3570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1R) belongs to tachykinin receptor family. Recent studies have suggested that NK1R was upregulated in cancer tissues including breast cancer, glioma and melanoma. Furthermore, NK1R antagonists have been employed to exert anti-tumor effect and promote cancer cell apoptosis. However, the role of NK1R in cervical cancer remains largely unknown. In this study, we aimed to detect the expression of NK1R in cervical cancer and evaluate the anti-tumor effects of NK1R antagonist on cervical cancer cells. We found that NK1R was highly expressed in cervical cancer tissues than in adjacent normal cervical tissues. Furthermore, by using NK1R antagonist we demonstrated that NK1R antagonist inhibited the viability and induced the apoptosis of cervical cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner, and the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of ERK activation and the regulation of apoptosis proteins Bcl-2 and BAX. In conclusion, these findings suggest that NK1R plays an oncogenic role in cervical cancer and is a promising target for cervical cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyun Guan
- Department of Oncology, The Third Hospital of Shijiazhuang.
| | - Shifa Yuan
- Department of General Surgery, Hospital of Hebei Province Crop of Chinese Armed Police Force, Shijiazhuang.
| | - Jing Ma
- Department of Gynecology, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang.
| | - Hong Liu
- Department of Gynecology and Oncology, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang.
| | - Lizhen Huang
- Department of Gynecology, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang .
| | - Fengzhen Zhang
- Department of Gynecology, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang.
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Alsaeed MA, Ebrahimi S, Alalikhan A, Hashemi SF, Hashemy SI, De Vita A. The Potential In Vitro Inhibitory Effects of Neurokinin-1 Receptor (NK-1R) Antagonist, Aprepitant, in Osteosarcoma Cell Migration and Metastasis. BioMed Research International 2022; 2022:1-9. [PMID: 36177059 PMCID: PMC9514929 DOI: 10.1155/2022/8082608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Background Osteosarcoma, the most frequent osteogenic malignancy, has become a serious public health challenge due to its high morbidity rates and metastatic potential. Recently, the neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R) is proved to be a promising target in cancer therapy. This study is aimed at determining the effect of aprepitant, a safe and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved NK-1R antagonist, on osteosarcoma cell migration and metastasis, and to explore its underlying mechanism of action. Methods Colorimetric MTT assay was employed to assess cell viability and cytotoxicity. A wound-healing assay was used to examine migration ability. The desired genes' protein and mRNA expression levels were measured by western blot assay and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), respectively. Gelatinase activity was also measured by zymography. Results We found that aprepitant inhibited MG-63 osteosarcoma cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. We also observed that aprepitant inhibited the migrative phenotype of osteosarcoma cells and reduced the expression levels and activities of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9). Aprepitant also reduced the expression of an angiogenic factor, VEGF protein, and NF-κB as an important transcriptional regulator of metastasis-related genes. Conclusion Collectively, our observations indicate that aprepitant modulates the metastatic behavior of human osteosarcoma cells, which may be applied to an effective therapeutic approach for patients with metastatic osteosarcoma.
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Ji T, Ma K, Wu H, Cao T. A Substance P (SP)/Neurokinin-1 Receptor Axis Promotes Perineural Invasion of Pancreatic Cancer and Is Affected by lncRNA LOC389641. J Immunol Res 2022; 2022:5582811. [PMID: 35600049 PMCID: PMC9119758 DOI: 10.1155/2022/5582811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Perineural invasion (PNI) is considered to be a main reason for the poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer. In the present study, we analyzed the roles of substance P (SP)/neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R) and lncRNA LOC389641 in pancreatic cancer PNI. Pancreatic cancer cell lines BxPC-3 and MIAPaCa-2 were cocultured with SH-SY5Y cells and then stimulated with SP to simulate the in vivo influence of ganglia on pancreatic cancer. The BxPC-3 and MIAPaCa-2 cells were transfected with a neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R) overexpression vector, NK-1R silencing vector, LOC389641 overexpression vector, or LOC389641 silencing vector, respectively. The proliferative abilities of BxPC-3 and MIAPaCa-2 cells were assessed using the cell counting kit-8 and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assays. Wound-healing and Transwell assays were performed to determine the migration and invasion abilities of the cells. When SP was added to the coculture system, it positively regulated cancer cell proliferation, migration, and PNI and significantly activated the NK-1R/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway. Incubation with 100 nmol/L SP for 24 h was selected as the optimal condition for treatment. The activated NK-1R positively regulated the proliferation, migration, and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells. However, the levels of lncRNA LOC389641 and tumor necrosis factor receptor SF10A (TNFRSF10A) mRNA in BxPC-3 and MIAPaCa-2 cells were not affected by SP treatment. Overexpression or silencing of LOC389641 changed the effect of SP stimulation on pancreatic cancer PNI. When taken together, these results revealed that SP/NK-1R and LOC389641 promoted the progression of pancreatic cancer PNI. Moreover, we found that pancreatic cancer PNI promoted by the SP/NK-1R axis could be blocked by the TNFRSF10A/NF-κB pathway mediated by LOC389641.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tengfei Ji
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Huadu Hospital, Southern Medical University (People's Hospital of Huadu District), Guangzhou, China
| | - Keqiang Ma
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Huadu Hospital, Southern Medical University (People's Hospital of Huadu District), Guangzhou, China
| | - Hongsheng Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Huadu Hospital, Southern Medical University (People's Hospital of Huadu District), Guangzhou, China
| | - Tiansheng Cao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Huadu Hospital, Southern Medical University (People's Hospital of Huadu District), Guangzhou, China
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García-Aranda M, Téllez T, McKenna L, Redondo M. Neurokinin-1 Receptor (NK-1R) Antagonists as a New Strategy to Overcome Cancer Resistance. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14092255. [PMID: 35565383 PMCID: PMC9102068 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14092255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marilina García-Aranda
- Research and Innovation Unit, Hospital Costa del Sol, Autovía A-7, km 187, 29603 Marbella, Spain; (M.G.-A.); (L.M.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), C/Dr. Miguel Díaz Recio, 28, 29010 Málaga, Spain
- Red de Investigación en Servicios de Salud en Enfermedades Crónicas (REDISSEC) and Red de Investigación en Cronicidad, Atención Primaria y Promoción de la Salud (RICAPPS), Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), 29010 Málaga, Spain;
- Surgical Specialties, Biochemistry and Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain
| | - Teresa Téllez
- Red de Investigación en Servicios de Salud en Enfermedades Crónicas (REDISSEC) and Red de Investigación en Cronicidad, Atención Primaria y Promoción de la Salud (RICAPPS), Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), 29010 Málaga, Spain;
- Surgical Specialties, Biochemistry and Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain
| | - Lauraine McKenna
- Research and Innovation Unit, Hospital Costa del Sol, Autovía A-7, km 187, 29603 Marbella, Spain; (M.G.-A.); (L.M.)
| | - Maximino Redondo
- Research and Innovation Unit, Hospital Costa del Sol, Autovía A-7, km 187, 29603 Marbella, Spain; (M.G.-A.); (L.M.)
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), C/Dr. Miguel Díaz Recio, 28, 29010 Málaga, Spain
- Red de Investigación en Servicios de Salud en Enfermedades Crónicas (REDISSEC) and Red de Investigación en Cronicidad, Atención Primaria y Promoción de la Salud (RICAPPS), Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), 29010 Málaga, Spain;
- Surgical Specialties, Biochemistry and Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain
- Correspondence:
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Muñoz MF, Argüelles S, Rosso M, Medina R, Coveñas R, Ayala A, Muñoz M, Husain K. The Neurokinin-1 Receptor Is Essential for the Viability of Human Glioma Cells: A Possible Target for Treating Glioblastoma. BioMed Research International 2022; 2022:1-13. [PMID: 35434136 PMCID: PMC9006081 DOI: 10.1155/2022/6291504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
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, while the level of truncated isoform was higher in the cytoplasm. Cell proliferation was decreased when glioma cells were transfected with TAC1R siRNA, but not with TAC1. U-87 MG cells were more sensitive to the effect of the TAC1R inhibition than GAMG cells. The decrease in the number of glioma cells after silencing of the TAC1R siRNA gene was due to apoptotic and necrotic mechanisms. In human primary fibroblast cultured cells, TAC1R silencing by siRNA did not produce any change in cell viability. Conclusions Our results show for the first time that the expression of the TAC1R gene (NK-1R) is essential for the viability of GAMG and U-87 MG glioma cells. On the contrary, the TAC1R gene is not essential for the viability of normal cells, confirming that NK-1R could be a promising and specific therapeutic target for the treatment of glioma.
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Ebrahimi S, Mirzavi F, Aghaee-Bakhtiari SH, Hashemy SI. SP/NK1R system regulates carcinogenesis in prostate cancer: Shedding light on the antitumoral function of aprepitant. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Res 2022; 1869:119221. [PMID: 35134443 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2022.119221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Prostate cancer continues to be one of the main global health issues in men. Neuropeptide substance P (SP) acting via neurokinin-1receptor (NK1R) promotes tumorigenicity in many human malignant tumors. However, its pro-tumorigenic functions and the therapeutic effects of its inhibition in prostate cancer remain unclear. METHODS MTT assay was employed for measuring cellular proliferation and cytotoxicity. mRNAs and proteins expression levels were evaluated by qRT-PCR and western blot assay, respectively. Gelatinase activity was assessed by zymography. The migration ability was defined using wound-healing assay. Flow cytometry was employed to evaluate the cell cycle distribution. We also performed an in vivo experiment in a mouse model of prostate cancer to confirm the in vitro therapeutic effect of targeting the SP/NK1R system. RESULTS We found a noticeable increase in the expression of the truncated isoform of NK1R as an oncogenic NK1R splice variant in tumor cells. We also demonstrated that SP promotes both proliferative and migrative phenotypes of prostate cancer through modifying cell cycle-related proteins (c-Myc, cyclin D1, cyclin B1, p21), and apoptosis-related genes (Bcl-2 and Bax), promoting cell migration and increasing MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression and activity, while aprepitant administration could remarkably reverse these effects. SP also stimulated tumor growth in vivo, which was correlated with shorter survival times, while aprepitant reversed this effect and led to significantly longer survival time. SIGNIFICANCE Our findings suggest that SP/NK1R system may serve as a novel therapeutic target in prostate cancer and support the possible candidacy of aprepitant in future prostate cancer therapy.
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Zhang XW, Li L, Hu WQ, Hu MN, Tao Y, Hu H, Miao XK, Yang WL, Zhu Q, Mou LY. Neurokinin-1 receptor promotes non-small cell lung cancer progression through transactivation of EGFR. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:41. [PMID: 35013118 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-021-04485-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Despite the great advances in target therapy, lung cancer remains the top cause of cancer-related death worldwide. G protein-coupled receptor neurokinin-1 (NK1R) is shown to play multiple roles in various cancers; however, the pathological roles and clinical implication in lung cancer are unclarified. Here we identified NK1R as a significantly upregulated GPCR in the transcriptome and tissue array of human lung cancer samples, associated with advanced clinical stages and poor prognosis. Notably, NK1R is co-expressed with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in NSCLC patients' tissues and co-localized in the tumor cells. NK1R can crosstalk with EGFR by interacting with EGFR, transactivating EGFR phosphorylation and regulating the intracellular signaling of ERK1/2 and Akt. Activation of NK1R promotes the proliferation, colony formation, EMT, MMP2/14 expression, and migration of lung cancer cells. The inhibition of NK1R by selective antagonist aprepitant repressed cell proliferation and migration in vitro. Knockdown of NK1R significantly slowed down the tumor growth in nude mice. The sensitivity of lung cancer cells to gefitinib/osimertinib is highly increased in the presence of the selective NK1R antagonist aprepitant. Our data suggest that NK1R plays an important role in lung cancer development through EGFR signaling and the crosstalk between NK1R and EGFR may provide a potential therapeutic target for lung cancer treatment.
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Abstract
The identification of nerves in the tumor microenvironment has ushered in a new area of research in cancer biology. Numerous studies demonstrate the presence of various types of peripheral nerves (sympathetic, parasympathetic, sensory) within the tumor microenvironment; moreover, an increased density of nerves in the tumor microenvironment correlates with worse prognosis. In this review, we address the current understanding of nerve-mediated alterations of the tumor microenvironment and how they impact disease through a variety of processes, including direct nerve-cancer cell communication, alteration of the infiltrative immune population, and alteration of stromal components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony C. Restaino
- Sanford ResearchCancer Biology and Immunotherapies GroupSioux FallsSouth DakotaUSA
- University of South Dakota Sanford School of MedicineVermillionSouth DakotaUSA
| | - Paola D. Vermeer
- Sanford ResearchCancer Biology and Immunotherapies GroupSioux FallsSouth DakotaUSA
- University of South Dakota Sanford School of MedicineVermillionSouth DakotaUSA
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Mozafari M, Ebrahimi S, Darban RA, Hashemy SI. Potential in vitro therapeutic effects of targeting SP/NK1R system in cervical cancer. Mol Biol Rep 2021. [PMID: 34766230 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-021-06928-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cervical cancer, an aggressive gynecological cancer, seriously threatens women's health worldwide. It is recently reported that neuropeptide substance P (SP) regulates many tumor-associated processes through neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1R). Therefore, we used cervical cancer cell line (HeLa) to investigate the functional relevance of the SP/NK1R system in cervical cancer pathogenesis. METHODS Cellular proliferation and cytotoxicity were analyzed by colorimetric MTT assay. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to measure mRNA expression levels of desired genes. Cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were evaluated by flow cytometry. A wound-healing assay was employed to assess migration ability. RESULTS We found that the truncated isoform of NK1R(NK1R-Tr) is the dominantly expressed form of the receptor in Hela cells. We also indicated that that SP increased HeLa cell proliferation while treatment with NK1R antagonist, aprepitant, inhibited HeLa cell viability in a dose and time-dependent manner. SP also alters the levels of cell cycle regulators (up-regulation of cyclin B1 along with downregulation of p21) and apoptosis-related genes (up-regulation of Bcl-2 along with downregulation of Bax) while aprepitant reversed these effects. Aprepitant also induced arrest within the G2 phase of the cell cycle and subsequent apoptosis. Furthermore, SP promoted the migrative phenotype of HeLa cells and increased MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression while aprepitant exposure significantly reversed these effects. CONCLUSION Collectively, our results indicate the importance of the SP / NK1R system in promoting both proliferative and migrative phenotypes of cervical cancer cells and suggest that aprepitant may be developed as a novel treatment for combating cervical cancer.
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Muñoz M, Coveñas R. The Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonist Aprepitant: An Intelligent Bullet against Cancer? Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E2682. [PMID: 32962202 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12092682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R) antagonists exert antitumor action, are safe and do not cause serious side-effects. These antagonists (via the NK-1R) exert multiple actions against cancer: antiproliferative and anti-Warburg effects and apoptotic, anti-angiogenic and antimetastatic effects. These multiple effects have been shown for a broad spectrum of cancers. The drug aprepitant (an NK-1R antagonist) is currently used in clinical practice as an antiemetic. In in vivo and in vitro studies, aprepitant also showed the aforementioned multiple antitumor actions against many types of cancer. A successful combination therapy (aprepitant and radiotherapy) has recently been reported in a patient suffering from lung carcinoma: the tumor mass disappeared and side-effects were not observed. Aprepitant could be considered as an intelligent bullet against cancer. The administration of aprepitant in cancer patients to prevent recurrence and metastasis after surgical procedures, thrombosis and thromboembolism is discussed, as is the possible link, through the substance P (SP)/NK-1R system, between cancer and depression. Our main aim is to review the multiple antitumor actions exerted by aprepitant, and the use of this drug is suggested in cancer patients. Altogether, the data support the reprofiling of aprepitant for a new therapeutic use as an antitumor agent.
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Wu H, Cheng X, Huang F, Shao G, Meng Y, Wang L, Wang T, Jia X, Yang T, Wang X, Fu C. Aprepitant Sensitizes Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells to the Cytotoxic Effects of Cytosine Arabinoside in vitro and in vivo. Drug Des Devel Ther 2020; 14:2413-2422. [PMID: 32606608 PMCID: PMC7308242 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s244648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Purpose Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a complex malignancy characterized by the clonal expansion of immature myeloid precursors. The standard treatment for newly diagnosed AML is chemotherapy consisting of cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C) and anthracyclines with disappointing clinical outcomes and severe adverse effects, such as symptomatic bradycardia, neurotoxicity. Thus, it is promising to treat AML through combination drug therapy to reduce the adverse effects of chemotherapeutics. In our recent published PNAS paper, we reported that NK-1R antagonists, both Aprepitant and SR140333, induce apoptosis of myeloid leukemia cells by inducing oxidative stress through mitochondrial calcium overload. We, therefore, tested the hypothesis of the combination Ara-C with NK-1R antagonist could enhance the efficacy of Ara-C. Methods MTT assay was employed to detect the cell proliferation. Flow cytometry was applied to detect the cell cycle and necrosis. PI uptake and LDH release assay were used to detect the disintegration of the plasma membrane. Xenograft model was constructed to explore the effect of combination Ara-C with Aprepitant in vivo. Results Our results showed that Aprepitant sensitizes HL60 cells to the cytotoxic effects of Ara-C more than 5-fold by enhancing G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and necrosis in vitro. Furthermore, Nec-1, a specific inhibitor of necroptosis, could recover the cell proliferative viability significantly. Attractively, once every 2-days regimen of Ara-C (5 mg/kg) and Aprepitant (10 mg/kg) via in situ injection dramatically reduced the tumor volume from 2175.0 ± 341.9 mm3 in the vehicle group to 828.4 ± 232.4 mm3 in the combination group without obvious toxicity in human myeloid leukemia xenograft mice. Conclusion Taken together, reduced dose of Ara-C combination with moderate Aprepitant provides more effective therapeutical methods for AML treatment in vitro and in vivo with the elimination of the toxicity of Ara-C, which may pay new avenue for the usage of the routine chemotherapy drug Ara-C with low dose to enhance efficacy and reduce toxicity in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongzhang Wu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Silkworm Bioreactor and Biomedicine, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, People's Republic of China
| | - Xurui Cheng
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Silkworm Bioreactor and Biomedicine, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, People's Republic of China
| | - Feiyan Huang
- Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310006, People's Republic of China
| | - Gang Shao
- Department of Oncology, The 903rd Hospital of PLA, Hangzhou 310013, People's Republic of China
| | - Yueming Meng
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Silkworm Bioreactor and Biomedicine, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, People's Republic of China
| | - Lingfei Wang
- Department of Oncology, The 903rd Hospital of PLA, Hangzhou 310013, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao Wang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Silkworm Bioreactor and Biomedicine, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyuan Jia
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Silkworm Bioreactor and Biomedicine, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, People's Republic of China
| | - Tianxin Yang
- Department of Hematology, Zhejiang Province People's Hospital, Hangzhou 310014, People's Republic of China
| | - Xi Wang
- Department of Oncology, The 903rd Hospital of PLA, Hangzhou 310013, People's Republic of China
| | - Caiyun Fu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Silkworm Bioreactor and Biomedicine, College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, People's Republic of China
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Muñoz M, Coveñas R. The Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonist Aprepitant, a New Drug for the Treatment of Hematological Malignancies: Focus on Acute Myeloid Leukemia. J Clin Med 2020; 9:E1659. [PMID: 32492831 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9061659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Revised: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous hematological malignancy. To treat the disease successfully, new therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. One of these strategies can be the use of neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R) antagonists (e.g., aprepitant), because the substance P (SP)/NK-1R system is involved in cancer progression, including AML. AML patients show an up-regulation of the NK-1R mRNA expression; human AML cell lines show immunoreactivity for both SP and the NK-1R (it is overexpressed: the truncated isoform is more expressed than the full-length form) and, via this receptor, SP and NK-1R antagonists (aprepitant, in a concentration-dependent manner) respectively exert a proliferative action or an antileukemic effect (apoptotic mechanisms are triggered by promoting oxidative stress via mitochondrial Ca++ overload). Aprepitant inhibits the formation of AML cell colonies and, in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs, is more effective in inducing cytotoxic effects and AML cell growth blockade. NK-1R antagonists also exert an antinociceptive effect in myeloid leukemia-induced bone pain. The antitumor effect of aprepitant is diminished when the NF-κB pathway is overactivated and the damage induced by aprepitant in cancer cells is higher than that exerted in non-cancer cells. Thus, the SP/NK-1R system is involved in AML, and aprepitant is a promising antitumor strategy against this hematological malignancy. In this review, the involvement of this system in solid and non-solid tumors (in particular in AML) is updated and the use of aprepitant as an anti-leukemic strategy for the treatment of AML is also mentioned (a dose of aprepitant (>20 mg/kg/day) for a period of time according to the response to treatment is suggested). Aprepitant is currently used in clinical practice as an anti-nausea medication.
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Hashemian P, Javid H, Tadayyon Tabrizi A, Hashemy SI. The Role of Tachykinins in the Initiation and Progression of Gastrointestinal Cancers: A Review. Int J Cancer Manag 2020; 13. [DOI: 10.5812/ijcm.100717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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Deng XT, Tang SM, Wu PY, Li QP, Ge XX, Xu BM, Wang HS, Miao L. SP/NK-1R promotes gallbladder cancer cell proliferation and migration. J Cell Mol Med 2019; 23:7961-7973. [PMID: 30903649 PMCID: PMC6850939 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.14230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Revised: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant substance P/neurokinin‐1 receptor (SP/NK‐1R) system activation plays a critical role in various disorders, however, little is known about the expression and the detailed molecular mechanism of the SP and NK‐1R in gallbladder cancer (GBC). In this study, we firstly analyzed the expression and clinical significance of them in patients with GBC. Then, cellular assays were performed to clarify their biological role in GBC cells. Moreover, we investigated the molecular mechanisms regulated by SP/NK‐1R. Meanwhile, mice xenografted with human GBC cells were analyzed regarding the effects of SP/NK1R complex in vivo. Finally, patient samples were utilized to investigate the effect of SP/NK‐1R. The results showed that SP and NK‐1R were highly expressed in GBC. We found that SP strongly induced GBC cell proliferation, clone formation, migration and invasion, whereas antagonizing NK‐1R resulted in the opposite effects. Moreover, SP significantly enhanced the expression of NF‐κB p65 and the tumor‐associated cytokines, while, Akt inhibitor could reverse these effects. Further studies indicated that decreasing activation of NF‐κB or Akt diminished GBC cell proliferation and migration. In consistent with results, immunohistochemical staining showed high levels of Akt, NF‐κB and cytokines in tumor tissues. Most importantly, the similar conclusion was obtained in xenograft mouse model. Our findings demonstrate that NK‐1R, after binding with the endogenous agonist SP, could induce GBC cell migration and spreading via modulation of Akt/NF‐κB pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Ting Deng
- Medical Center for Digestive Diseases, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Si-Min Tang
- Medical Center for Digestive Diseases, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Pei-Yao Wu
- Medical Center for Digestive Diseases, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Quan-Peng Li
- Medical Center for Digestive Diseases, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xian-Xiu Ge
- Medical Center for Digestive Diseases, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Bo-Ming Xu
- Medical Center for Digestive Diseases, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hui-Shan Wang
- Medical Center for Digestive Diseases, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lin Miao
- Medical Center for Digestive Diseases, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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