title: The anti-hypertensive drug prazosin induces apoptosis in the medullary thyroid carcinoma cell line TT.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a tumor associated with poor prognosis since it exhibits high resistance against conventional cancer therapy. Recent studies have shown that quinazolines exhibit a pro-apoptotic effect on malignant cells. The aim of the present study was to elucidate whether MTC cells are affected by quinazolines, in particular prazosin.
  
  
  METHODS
  Proliferation, apoptosis and cell morphology of the MTC cell line TT were analyzed by WST-1 assay, caspase 3/7 activation tests and microscopy. Fibroblasts were used as control for non-malignant cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prazosin potently inhibited the growth of TT cells, induced apoptosis and caused vacuolization, as well as needle-like filopodia. Fibroblasts were affected by prazosin in the same way as MTC cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MTC cells are responsive to prazosin treatment similar to other malignancies. The fact that fibroblasts also respond to prazosin further highlights the importance to identify the unknown pro-apoptotic target of quinazolines.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathophysiology and Immunology, Center of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathophysiology and Immunology, Center of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Gert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schwach
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathophysiology and Immunology, Center of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Anika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stracke
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathophysiology and Immunology, Center of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Meier-Allard
authors.affiliation: Center for Medical Research, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Absenger
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Electron Microscopy, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ingolic
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathophysiology and Immunology, Center of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Helga Susanne
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathophysiology and Immunology, Center of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Roswitha
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pfragner
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathophysiology and Immunology, Center of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sadjak
mesh_terms: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D018276:Carcinoma, Medullary / Q000188:drug therapy*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor / Q000187:drug effects; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D006801:Humans; D011224:Prazosin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018340:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018340:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1; D011224:Prazosin
keywords: Medullary thyroid carcinoma; apoptosis; cell culture; prazosin; quinazolines; α1-adrenergic receptors