Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChR) are expressed in cells without nervous origin. mAChR are up-regulated in tumor cells and their stimulation can modulate tumor growth. In this work we investigated the ability of mAChR activation to induce tumor cell death. We studied the action of a combination of low doses of the muscarinic agonist carbachol plus paclitaxel, a chemotherapeutic agent frequently used in breast cancer treatment, in terms of effectiveness. Long term treatment with carbachol exerted anti-proliferative actions on LM2 and LM3 murine mammary adenocarcinoma cells, similarly to paclitaxel. The combination of carbachol with paclitaxel at submaximal concentrations, added during 20 h decreased tumor cell proliferation in a more potent manner than each drug added separately. This effect was reverted by the muscarinic antagonist atropine, and was due to a potentiation of tumor cell apoptosis tested by TUNEL assay. This treatment did not affect the proliferation of the non tumorigenic mammary cell line NMuMG. In conclusion, the combination of a muscarinic agonist plus paclitaxel should be tested as a useful therapeutic tool in breast cancer treatment.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.