Psychological Stress and Cancer

Conti, Cristiana; Maccauro, Giulio; Fulcheri, Mario

doi:10.1177/039463201102400101

Cited by 29 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…These disorders can adversely affect quality of life, mobility, education) employment, social functioning, health care, and physical wellbeing (1)(2)(3).…”

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confidence: 99%

Is There a Role for Agomelatine in the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders? A Review of Published Data

Berardis¹,

Conti

Marini³

et al. 2013

Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol

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Anxiety disorders (ADs) are the most common type of psychiatric disorders. Pharmacologic options studied for treating ADs may include benzodiazepines, tricyclic antidepressants (TCA), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressants (NaSSA) and serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). Agomelatine, a new melatonergic antidepressant, has been shown effective in various types of mood disorders. Moreover, some evidence points towards a possible efficacy of such a drug in the treatment of ADs. Therefore, the aim of this review was to elucidate current (facts and views) data on the role of agomelatine in the treatment of ADs. The trials evaluating agomelatine in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder are few but, overall, encouraging in regards to its efficacy. However, further randomized, placebo-controlled studies on larger samples use are needed. Apart from some interesting case reports, no large studies are, to date, present in literature regarding agomelatine in the treatment of other ADs, such as panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Therefore, the clinical efficacy and the relative good tolerability of agomelatine in generalized anxiety (GAD) warrants further investigation in ADs.

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“…These disorders can adversely affect quality of life, mobility, education) employment, social functioning, health care, and physical wellbeing (1)(2)(3).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Is There a Role for Agomelatine in the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders? A Review of Published Data

Berardis¹,

Conti

Marini³

et al. 2013

Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol

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“…Complexities in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of PDAC may be partly due to the fact that little is currently known regarding the factors involved in PDAC progression and its specific mechanisms. However, the cancer-promoting effects of chronic psychological stress, and its major downstream stress hormone NE, are widely known (3,29,30).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Chronic psychological stress can influence various physical and pathological biological processes, and it has been reported to potentially initiate the progression of cancer via activating the HPA axis and/or the SNS (3,4,31). As a major downstream factor, NE levels are markedly elevated in the cancer microenvironment (10 µM) compared with under normal physiological conditions (10-1,000 pM) (5,32).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Chronic psychological stress is considered to be a powerful tumor promoter in numerous types of cancer, including PDAC, via inducing activation of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis and/or the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) (3,4). Norepinephrine (NE) is a major stress hormone, which serves a vital role in the chronic psychological stress that may induce tumor progression.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Norepinephrine enhances cell viability and invasion, and inhibits apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells in a Notch‑1‑dependent manner

Qian

et al. 2018

Oncol Rep

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Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most aggressive types of cancer, which is associated with a poor prognosis due to complexities in prevention, early diagnosis and effective treatment. The lack of understanding regarding its induction and specific pro‑cancer mechanisms may contribute to its poor prognosis. The Notch‑1 pathway is widely considered to be a critical tumor‑promoting factor in PDAC. Previous studies have indicated that chronic psychological stress may promote the development of PDAC partially via the main downstream stress hormone, norepinephrine (NE); however, to the best of our knowledge, the role of the Notch‑1 pathway in this process has not been studied. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore this process. The expression levels of Notch‑1 pathway‑associated molecules were measured in response to NE using reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. Alongside NE treatment, two Notch‑1 pathway blockers, Notch‑1‑specific small interfering (si)RNA and DAPT (an inhibitor of the Notch‑1 pathway), were used to explore the relationship between NE and the Notch‑1 pathway in the development of pancreatic cell malignant biological behaviors, including cell viability, apoptosis and cell invasion. The results demonstrated that treatment with NE enhanced cell viability and invasion, and inhibited apoptosis of PDAC cells; however, these effects were suppressed following treatment with Notch‑1‑specific siRNA and DAPT. In conclusion, NE may enhance the malignant biological behaviors of PDAC via activating the Notch‑1 pathway.

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“…In addition to damage in the central nervous system, FAE also causes decrease in the production of the stress‐inhibiting polypeptide β ‐endorphin ( β ‐EP), hyperactive response to stress (Baldwin, ; Hellemans et al., ; Jacobson et al., ), decreased immune function (Gauthier et al., ; Johnson et al., ; Redei et al., ; Taylor et al., ; Zhang et al., ), and increased incidences of different types of cancers including breast cancer (Hilakivi‐Clarke et al., ; Mongraw‐Chaffin et al., ; Murugan et al., ; Polanco et al., ; Severson et al., ). Clinical observations and animal researches have connected chronic stress with decrease of immune function (Leonard and Song, ; Moynihan, ; Nunes et al., ; Zorrilla et al., ) and increase of cancer incidence and growth (Conti et al., ; Moreno‐Smith et al., ). On the other hand, interventions aimed at reducing stress and increasing optimism have been shown to enhance immunity and to reduce tumor growth in mammary and prostate cancer patients (Galway et al., ; Rustøen et al., ; Yermal et al., ).…”

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confidence: 99%

Inhibition of Mammary Cancer Progression in Fetal Alcohol Exposed Rats by β‐Endorphin Neurons

Zhang

Franklin

Sarkar

2016

Alcoholism Clin & Exp Res

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Background Fetal alcohol exposure (FAE) increases the susceptibility to carcinogen-induced mammary cancer progression in rodent models. Fetal alcohol exposer also have decreased β-endorphin (β-EP) level and caused hyperstress response, which leads to inhibition of immune function against cancer. Previous studies have shown that injection of nanosphere-attached dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate (dbcAMP) into the 3rd ventricle increases the number of BEP neurons in the hypothalamus. In this study, we assessed the therapeutic potential of stress regulation using methods to increase hypothalamic levels of β-EP, a neuropeptide that inhibits stress axis activity, in treatment of carcinogen-induced mammary cancer in fetal alcohol exposed rats. Methods Fetal alcohol-exposed and control Sprague Dawley rats were given a dose of N-Nitroso-N-methylurea (MNU) at postnatal day 50 to induce mammary cancer growth. Upon detection of mammary tumors, the animals were either transplanted with β-EP neurons or injected with dbcAMP-delivering nanospheres into the hypothalamus to increase β-EP peptide production. Spleen cytokines were detected using RT-PCR assays. Metastasis study was done by injecting mammary cancer cells MADB106 into jugular vein of β-EP-activated or control fetal alcohol exposed animals. Results Both transplantation of β-EP neurons and injection of dbcAMP-delivering nanospheres inhibited MNU-induced mammary cancer growth in control rats, and reversed the effect of fetal alcohol exposure on the susceptibility to mammary cancer. Similar to the previously reported immune-enhancing and stress-suppressive effects of β-EP transplantation, injection of dbcAMP-delivering nanospheres increased the levels of interferon-γ and granzyme B and decreased the levels of epinephrine and norepinephrine in fetal alcohol exposed rats. Mammary cancer cell metastasis study also showed that fetal alcohol exposure increased incidence of lung tumor retention, while β-EP transplantation inhibited lung tumor growth in both normal and fetal alcohol exposed rats. Conclusions Our results suggest that increase of β-EP production in the hypothalamus may serve as a potential therapeutic strategy for treating the cancer growth in patients with chronic stress and compromised immune function, such as the patients with fetal alcohol exposure.

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Psychological Stress and Cancer

Cited by 29 publications

References 35 publications

Is There a Role for Agomelatine in the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders? A Review of Published Data

Is There a Role for Agomelatine in the Treatment of Anxiety Disorders? A Review of Published Data

Norepinephrine enhances cell viability and invasion, and inhibits apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells in a Notch‑1‑dependent manner

Inhibition of Mammary Cancer Progression in Fetal Alcohol Exposed Rats by β‐Endorphin Neurons

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