Assessment of muscarinic and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor expression in primitive neuroectodermal tumor/ewing family of tumor and desmoplastic small round cell tumor: an immunohistochemical and Western blot study of tissue microarray and cell lines.
The primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET)/Ewing family of tumors (EFT) and desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) portend a grave prognosis. Ongoing research in similar neurocrest-derived neoplasms has implicated both the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) in the pathogenesis of these neoplasms. Acetylcholine has been reported to impart a modulatory effect on chemotaxis and proliferation, an effect ameliorated by anticholinergic drugs. The aim of our study is to characterize the pattern of expression of mAChR and nAChR in PNET/EFT and DSRCT, in hopes of discovering a potential target for therapeutic improvements. We examined 34 cases of PNET/EFT and 2 DSRCT retrospectively by immunohistochemical studies. We found that AChRs are overexpressed in a significant number of PNET/EFT and DSRCT. The Western blot analysis of 3 human Ewing sarcoma cell lines confirms the presence of AChRs. Future studies are planned to confirm these results as well as to investigate their potential therapeutic implications.
Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Pathology of University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.
Scott M
SM
Schlauder
Thora S
TS
Steffensen
Michael
M
Morgan
Douglas G
DG
Letson
Warren J
WJ
Pledger
Le
L
Ma
Marilyn M
MM
Bui
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018242:Neuroectodermal Tumors, Primitive / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic / Q000378:metabolism*; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012512:Sarcoma, Ewing / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018228:Sarcoma, Small Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D011976:Receptors, Muscarinic; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic