title: Endothelial progenitor cells may participate in stress-induced tumour angiogenesis.
abstract: Epidemiological and animal studies have suggested that chronic stress promotes tumourigenesis by promoting tumour angiogenesis. However, underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are a group of bone marrow-derived cells that have an important function in neovascularisation of various tumour growths. In this study, chronic stress was hypothesised to increase tumour angiogenesis via sympathetic neurotransmitter-induced activation of EPCs through α1 adrenoreceptor (AR)-extracellular regulated protein kinases and β2 AR-endothelial nitric oxide synthase signal pathways. This hypothesis should be tested in several clinical and animal studies. Results may have implications on the development of new anti-tumour drugs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Wuhan General Hospital of Guangzhou Military, 627 Wuluo Road, Wuhan 430070, China.
authors.forename: Qijun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Zhigang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Shifang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ding
mesh_terms: D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000378:metabolism; D018340:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018340:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III