PMID- 15579018
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20050125
LR  - 20191109
IS  - 1568-0118 (Print)
IS  - 1568-0118 (Linking)
VI  - 4
IP  - 6
DP  - 2004 Nov
TI  - Role of the non-neuronal human cholinergic system in lung cancer and 
      mesothelioma: possibility of new therapeutic strategies.
PG  - 535-42
AB  - Acetylcholine (Ach), one of the most important examples of a neurotransmitter, 
      represents a phylogenetically old molecule, widely distributed from bacteria to 
      humans. The finding that neuronal Ach receptors (nAChRs) are present in 
      non-neuronal cells raised some interesting issues related to their specific 
      activity. In humans, different studies have showed that many lung cancer cells 
      expressed nAchRs and that low concentrations of nicotine blocked the induction of 
      apoptosis in these cells. A recent study presents data that SCLC express a 
      cholinergic autocrine loop that can regulate cell growth. Such work demonstrates 
      that SCLC cells have a cholinergic phenotype and that ACh exerts as an autocrine 
      growth factor in human lung tumors. Recently it has been shown that human 
      malignant pleural mesothelioma express a cholinergic system, involved in cell 
      growth regulation. Hence, mesothelioma cell growth as well as normal mesothelial 
      cells growth is modulated by the cholinergic system in which agonists (i.e. 
      nicotine) has a proliferative effect and antagonists (i.e. curare) has an 
      inhibitory effect. Furthermore apoptosis mechanisms in mesothelioma cells are 
      under the control of the cholinergic system (nicotine antiapoptotic via induction 
      of NF-kappaB complexes and phosphorilation of Bad at Serine(112), curare 
      proapoptotic via G(0)-G(1) arrest p21(waf-1)-dependent, but p53-independent). The 
      involvement of the non-neuronal cholinergic system in lung cancer and 
      mesothelioma appears reasonable and open up new therapeutic strategies.
FAU - Trombino, Sonya
AU  - Trombino S
AD  - Department of Biology, University of Genova, Italy.
FAU - Bisio, Alessandra
AU  - Bisio A
FAU - Catassi, Alessia
AU  - Catassi A
FAU - Cesario, Alfredo
AU  - Cesario A
FAU - Falugi, Carla
AU  - Falugi C
FAU - Russo, Patrizia
AU  - Russo P
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PT  - Review
PL  - Netherlands
TA  - Curr Med Chem Anticancer Agents
JT  - Current medicinal chemistry. Anti-cancer agents
JID - 101123597
RN  - 0 (Cholinergic Agents)
RN  - 0 (Receptors, Cholinergic)
SB  - IM
MH  - Cholinergic Agents/chemistry/pharmacology/therapeutic use
MH  - Humans
MH  - Lung Neoplasms/*drug therapy/metabolism
MH  - Mesothelioma/*drug therapy/metabolism
MH  - Receptors, Cholinergic/chemistry/*physiology
RF  - 37
EDAT- 2004/12/08 09:00
MHDA- 2005/01/26 09:00
CRDT- 2004/12/08 09:00
PHST- 2004/12/08 09:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2005/01/26 09:00 [medline]
PHST- 2004/12/08 09:00 [entrez]
AID - 10.2174/1568011043352687 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Curr Med Chem Anticancer Agents. 2004 Nov;4(6):535-42. doi: 
      10.2174/1568011043352687.