title: Neurotrophin system activation in pleural effusions.
abstract: Neurotrophins (NTs) expression was assessed in malignant and non-malignant pleural effusions (inflammatory exudates and transudates). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, in malignant exudates from small and non-small cell lung cancer (SCLC and NSCLC), detected nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), and their levels are higher as compared with inflammatory and transudative effusions. By immunoblots, in cultured cancer cells coming from malignant pleural effusions, NTs and low- and high-affinity NT receptors were detected in a percentage of SCLC and NSCLC. Proliferation assay demonstrated that BDNF significantly increased cancer cell proliferation in vitro, on the contrary, NT-3 reduced cancer cell growth rate and NGF did not modify cell growth. Moreover, NGF protects cells from death during starvation. These effects are reverted by the addition of NT receptor antagonists. Cultured cancer cells injected into the lung of immunodeficient mice generate lung tumors expressing NTs and NT receptors. These findings suggest that NTs may be able to modulate cancer cell behavior and their growth.
authors.affiliation: Università La Sapienza, Rome, Italy. alberto.ricci@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ricci
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mariotta
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pompili
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bronzetti
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Vitis
authors.forename: Lara
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pisani
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cherubini
authors.forename: Pierdonato
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.forename: Giorgetta
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gencarelli
authors.forename: Maria R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Giovagnoli
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Terzano
authors.forename: Gennaro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ciliberto
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giarnieri
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fumagalli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D016688:Mice, Inbred NOD; D016513:Mice, SCID; D008875:Middle Aged; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D020933:Neurotrophin 3 / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016066:Pleural Effusion, Malignant / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020813:Receptor, trkB / Q000378:metabolism; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D055752:Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D020933:Neurotrophin 3; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor; D020813:Receptor, trkB