Background The possibility that mu opioid agonists can influence cancer recurrence is a subject of recent interest. Epidemiologic studies suggested that there were differences in cancer recurrence in breast and prostate cancer contingent on anesthetic regimens. In this study, we identify a possible mechanism for these epidemiologic findings based on mu opioid receptor (MOR) regulation of Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) tumorigenicity in cell and animal models. Methods We utilized human lung tissue and human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines and evaluated MOR expression using immunoblot and immunohistochemical analysis. LLC cells were treated with the peripheral opioid antagonist methylnalnaltrexone (MNTX) or MOR shRNA and evaluated for proliferation, invasion and soft agar colony formation in vitro and primary tumor growth and lung metastasis in C57BL/6 and MOR knockout mice using Visen FMT imaging and immunohistochemical analysis. Results We provide several lines of evidence that the MOR may be a potential target for lung cancer, a disease with high mortality and few treatment options. We first observed that there is ~5 to 10 fold increase in MOR expression in lung samples from patients with NSCLC and in several human NSCLC cell lines. The MOR agonists morphine and DAMGO increased in vitro LLC cell growth. Treatment with MNTX or silencing MOR expression inhibited LLC invasion and anchorage-independent growth by 50–80%. Injection of MOR silenced LLC lead to a ~65% reduction in mouse lung metastasis. In addition, MOR knockout mice do not develop significant tumors when injected with LLC as compared to wildtype controls. Finally, continuous infusion of the peripheral opioid antagonist methylnaltrexone attenuates primary LLC tumor growth and reduces lung metastasis. Conclusions Taken together, our data suggests a possible direct effect of opiates on lung cancer progression, and provides a plausible explanation for the epidemiologic findings. Our observations further suggest a possible therapeutic role for opioid antagonists.
Novel therapies are desperately needed for radiation-induced lung injury (RILI), which, despite aggressive corticosteroid therapy, remains a potentially fatal and dose-limiting complication of thoracic radiotherapy. We assessed the utility of simvastatin, an anti-inflammatory and lung barrier-protective agent, in a dose-and time-dependent murine model of RILI (18-(25 Gy). Simvastatin reduced multiple RILI indices, including vascular leak, leukocyte infiltration, and histological evidence of oxidative stress, while reversing RILI-associated dysregulated gene expression, including p53, nuclear factor-erythroid-2-related factor, and sphingolipid metabolic pathway genes. To identify key regulators of simvastatin-mediated RILI protection, we integrated whole-lung gene expression data obtained from radiated and simvastatin-treated mice with protein-protein interaction network analysis (single-network analysis of proteins). Topological analysis of the gene product interaction network identified eight top-prioritized genes (Ccna2a, Cdc2, fcer1 g, Syk, Vav3, Mmp9, Itgam, Cd44) as regulatory nodes within an activated RILI network. These studies identify the involvement of specific genes and gene networks in RILI pathobiology, and confirm that statins represent a novel strategy to limit RILI.
Summary During bacterial division, polymers of the tubulin-like GTPase FtsZ assemble at midcell to form the cytokinetic Z-ring, which coordinates peptidoglycan (PG) remodeling and envelope constriction. Curvature of FtsZ filaments promotes membrane deformation in vitro, but its role in division in vivo remains undefined. Inside cells, FtsZ directs PG insertion at the division plane, though it is unclear how FtsZ structure and dynamics are mechanistically coupled to PG metabolism. Here we study FzlA, a division protein that stabilizes highly curved FtsZ filaments, as a tool for assessing the contribution of FtsZ filament curvature to constriction. We show that in Caulobacter crescentus, FzlA must bind to FtsZ for division to occur and that FzlA-mediated FtsZ curvature is correlated with efficient division. We observed that FzlA influences constriction rate, and that this activity is associated with its ability to bind and curve FtsZ polymers. Further, we found that a slowly constricting fzlA mutant strain develops “pointy” poles, suggesting that FzlA influences the relative contributions of radial versus longitudinal PG insertion at the septum. These findings implicate FzlA as a critical coordinator of envelope constriction through its interaction with FtsZ and suggest a functional link between FtsZ curvature and efficient constriction in C. crescentus.
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