title: Is acetylcholine an autocrine/paracrine growth factor via the nicotinic alpha7-receptor subtype in the human colon cancer cell line HT-29?
abstract: We used immunochemistry to demonstrate expression of acetylcholine's nicotinic alpha7-receptor subtype in human colon cancer cell line HT-29. Moreover, RT-PCR and immunochemistry showed that choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholine esterase, the enzymes responsible for acetylcholine synthesis and degradation, respectively, localise in HT-29 cells. Bromoacetylcholine bromide, an inhibitor of choline acetyltransferase, significantly attenuated basal cell growth. Our findings suggest that acetylcholine might serve as an autocrine/paracrine-or speculatively, even intracrine-signalling molecule in cell line HT-29, thus contributing to carcinogenesis/cancer progression.
authors.affiliation: School of Pure and Applied Natural Sciences, University of Kalmar, SE-39182 Kalmar, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pettersson
authors.forename: Linn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nylund
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khorram-Manesh
authors.forename: Svante
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nordgren
authors.forename: Dick S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Delbro
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism; D019898:Autocrine Communication; D019921:Biotinylation; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D019073:HT29 Cells; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019899:Paracrine Communication; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000378:metabolism*; D064569:alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor
chemical_list: C579167:Chrna7 protein, human; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D064569:alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D000109:Acetylcholine