title: Effects of bombesin on methadone-induced apoptosis of human lung cancer cells.
abstract: The therapeutic opioid methadone, used to treat cancer pain and opioid addiction, is also a potent inducer of apoptosis in human lung cancer cells, thereby inhibiting their growth. However, in contrast to its central nervous system (CNS) actions, this effect appears to be mediated through a non-opioid mechanism involving bombesin, an autocrine growth-stimulatory factor that plays a central role in the early events of pulmonary carcinogenesis. Exposure of 'variant' small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) and non-SCLC cells, which secrete low concentrations (< 0.01 pmol/mg protein) of bombesin, to nanomolar concentrations of methadone resulted in increased levels of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase phosphatases and inactivation of MAP kinase, suppression of the bcl-2 protein, and induction of apoptosis. These effects of methadone were reversed by the addition of bombesin to the culture medium, at concentrations of < 1 microM, and 'classic' SCLC cells, which secrete high concentrations of bioactive bombesin (> 6 pmol/mg protein), were found not to respond to methadone. Thus, methadone's effectiveness is dependent upon the concentration of bioactive bombesin secreted by lung cancer cells. Methadone treatment suggests a novel therapeutic approach for patients presenting 'variant' SCLC and non-SCLC morphologies, since they respond less to conventional therapy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Surgical Oncology, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland 97201-3098, USA.
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Heusch
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maneckjee
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001839:Bombesin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D008691:Methadone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005419:Flavonoids; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D001839:Bombesin; C093973:2-(2-amino-3-methoxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one; D008691:Methadone