Kappa-opioid receptor binding varies inversely with tumor grade in human gliomas.
BACKGROUND
Opioid agonists can inhibit cell proliferation in various neural tumor cell lines, including rat gliomas. Because opioid antimitogenic effects are mediated by opioid receptors, it was of interest to the authors to determine opioid receptor levels in human brain tumors.


METHODS
Specimens obtained at craniotomy from 30 patients with glioma and nonneoplastic brain disorders were evaluated for their kappa-opioid receptor binding. Kd and Bmax values were estimated from homologous competition binding curves with the kappa1-selective radioligand [3H]U69,593.


RESULTS
Receptor binding density was greatest in nonneoplastic brain tissue, less in Grade 2 and 3 astrocytoma, and least in glioblastoma multiforme.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that opioid receptor-based stratification of grade may have clinical utility in distinguishing glioblastoma multiforme from lower grade astrocytomas, and thereby may facilitate diagnosis and treatment.
Pan
E C
EC
E. A. Doisy Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, St. Louis University Health Sciences Center, Missouri 63110-0250, USA.
Bohn
L M
LM
Belcheva
M M
MM
Thomas
G E
GE
Manepalli
A N
AN
Mamone
J Y
JY
Johnson
F E
FE
Coscia
C J
CJ
D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000378:metabolism; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D017473:Receptors, Opioid, kappa / Q000378:metabolism*
D017473:Receptors, Opioid, kappa