title: Effects of neurotransmitters on the chemokinesis and chemotaxis of MDA-MB-468 human breast carcinoma cells.
abstract: Most patients suffering from breast carcinoma do not die due to the primary tumor but from the development of metastases. Active migration of cancer cells is a prerequisite for development of these metastases. We used time-lapse videomicroscopy and computer-assisted cell tracking of MDA-MB-468 human breast carcinoma cells, which were incorporated into a three-dimensional collagen matrix, in order to analyze the migratory activity of these cells in response to different neurotransmitters. Our results show that met-enkephalin, substance P, bombesin, dopamine, and norepinephrine have a stimulatory effect on the migration of the breast cancer cells; moreover, these cells show positive chemotaxis towards norepinephrine as was analyzed by the directionality and persistence on a single-cell basis. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) however has an inhibitory effect. Endorphin and leu-enkephalin, as well as histamin and acetylcholine, had no influence on the migratory activity of the cells. In summary, we provide evidence for a strong regulatory involvement of neurotransmitters in the regulation of breast cancer cell migration, which might provide the basis for the use of the pharmacological agonists and antagonists for the chemopreventive inhibition of metastasis development.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Immunology, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany.
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Drell
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Niggemann
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Zaenker
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Entschladen
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D001839:Bombesin / Q000378:metabolism; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002464:Cell Migration Inhibition; D002633:Chemotaxis / Q000187:drug effects*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D018715:Microscopy, Video; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D013373:Substance P / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D013373:Substance P; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine; D001839:Bombesin; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine