title: Activation of β-adrenergic receptors increases the in vitro migration of malignant hepatocytes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Activation of adrenergic receptors (AR) has been reported to enhance the growth and invasion of various malignancies. The effects of AR agonists on malignant hepatocyte proliferation and migration have yet to be determined.
  
  
  METHODS
  PLC/PRF/5 (PLC) and Huh-7 cells were exposed to a wide range of concentrations of the AR agonists noradrenaline (NA) and isoprenaline. Cell proliferation, migration, intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), protein kinase A (PKA) and C (PKC), matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2, -3, -7 and -9, and α(1) -, β(1) - and β(2) -AR expression were documented in both cell lines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cell proliferative activity was unaltered following exposure to physiological and stress-related concentrations of AR agonists but migration was accelerated, an effect that was inhibited by the nonselective β-AR antagonist labetalol. cAMP, PKA, PKC or MMP expression remained unchanged. Although α(1) - and β(1) -AR expressions were abundant, β(2) -AR expression was limited in both cell lines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Unlike other malignancies studied to date, in this study, the proliferative activity of malignant hepatocytes was not increased by exposure to AR agonists, a finding that could be explained by downregulation of β(2) -AR expression. The increase in malignant hepatocyte migration observed remains unexplained but does not appear to involve adenyl cyclase or MMP signaling pathways.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine             Immunology             Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Section of Hepatology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
authors.forename: Carly
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lodewyks
authors.forename: Jose F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Betty
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lerner
authors.forename: Dongfeng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Julia D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Rempel
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Uhanova
authors.forename: Meaghan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Labine
authors.forename: Gerald Y
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Minuk