P2Y₂‐ and P2Y₄ purinergic receptors are over‐expressed in human colon cancer

Abstract

1. A characteristic of cancer is altered signal transduction leading to uninhibited growth. Adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP), a natural ligand at P2X- and P2Y purinergic receptors may regulate cell growth in non-neoplastic, as well as neoplastic tissues. In the human colon cancer cell line, HT-29, we previously demonstrated the expression of purinergic receptors of the P2Y(2)- and P2Y(4) subclasses. 2. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether these two purinergic receptors are expressed also in human colon cancer, and, if so, how such expression is related to that in tumour-free colonic tissue. 3. The immunohistochemical findings of both P2Y(2)- and P2Y(4) receptors in the tumours from three patients, prompted us to conduct an investigation of a consecutive series of patients utilizing Western blotting for protein detection and densitometry for quantitation. 4. Both P2Y(2)- and P2Y(4) purinergic receptors could be identified in tumour-free tissue, and both were significantly over-expressed in each of the 10 colon cancers.

Impact of CD39 and purinergic signalling on the growth and metastasis of colorectal cancer

“…P2X7 was slightly over-expressed in htCD39 liver metastases only. P2Y2 mRNA was significantly over-expressed in htCD39 mice, compared to wt and heterozygous samples and human colon cancer cells [24]. There remain controversies as to how P2Y2 might also positively influence tumor proliferation and bolster progression.…”

Targeting calcium signaling in cancer therapy

“…The P2 receptors are divided into P2X and P2Y groups and each group contains several members with distinct ion selectivity and regulatory properties. Numerous studies have demonstrated that P2 receptors involve in cancer cells and are expressed to a very high level in some cases, such as P2X3, P2X5, P2X7 and P2Y2 and P2Y442, 80, 81, 82, 83 (Table 1). In terms of clinical evaluation, P2X3 receptor overexpression was reported to be associated with poor recurrence-free survival in hepatocellular carcinoma patients 84 .…”

The P2Y2 Nucleotide Receptor Mediates the Proliferation and Migration of Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells Induced by ATP

“…In recent years, most studies have concentrated on the effect of purinergic signaling on the development and progress of tumors. It has been shown that the expression of P2Y receptors is up-regulated in some cancer tissues (6,7). Extracellular nucleotides regulate the proliferation of several cancer cell lines through P2Y receptors (8,9).…”