title: Could Somatostatin Enhance the Outcomes of Chemotherapeutic Treatment in SCLC?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Somatostatin is a peptide with a potent and broad antisecretory action, which makes it an invaluable drug target for the pharmacological management of pituitary adenomas and neuroendocrine tumors. Furthermore, somatostatin (SST) receptors (SSTR1, 2A and B, 3, 4 and 5) belong to the G protein coupled receptor family and are overexpressed in tumors. Since, human small-cell lung cancer overexpresses somatostatin receptors (STTR), they could be legitimate targets for treating SCLC.The aim of this study was the evaluation of cytotoxicity of somatostatin in combination with several anticancer drugs in HTB-175 cell line (Small Cell Lung Cancer Cell line that expresses neuron specific enolase).
  
  
  METHODS
  Docetaxel, Paclitaxel, Carboplatin, Cisplatin, Etoposide, Gemzar, Navelbine, Fluorouracil, Farmorubicin are the chemotherapeutic drugs that we used for the combination before and after adding somatostatin in SCLC cell culture. HTB-175 cell line was purchased from ATCC LGC Standards.At indicated time-point, 48h after the combination, cell viability and apoptosis were measured with Annexin V staining by flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Flow cytometry showed that Docetaxel, Paclitaxel, Gemzar and Cisplatin induced apoptosis more when they were added before somatostatin, whereas etoposide induced apoptosis more after somatostatin treatment. Navelbine alone or in combination with somatostatin showed no differences in apoptosis. Farmorubicin showed equal toxicity in all combinations. Fluorouracil and Carboplatin induced apoptosis more when added alone in HTB-175 cell line. However, increased apoptosis was also observed when Carboplatin was administered before somatostatin in higher concentrations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicated that depending on the drug, somatostatin treatment before or after chemotherapeutic drugs increased apoptosis in small cell lung cancer cells. We suggest that long acting somatostatin analogues could be used as additive and maintenance therapy in combination to antineoplastic agents in SCLC patients.
authors.affiliation: 1. Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece;
authors.forename: Kalliopi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Domvri
authors.affiliation: 2. Gene and Cell Therapy Center, Hematology - BMT Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece;
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bougiouklis
authors.affiliation: 1. Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece;
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zarogoulidis
authors.affiliation: 1. Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece;
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Porpodis
authors.affiliation: 3. Surgical Department "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece;
authors.forename: Manolis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xristoforidis
authors.affiliation: 1. Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece;
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liaka
authors.affiliation: 1. Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece;
authors.forename: Ellada
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eleutheriadou
authors.affiliation: 1. Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece;
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lampaki
authors.affiliation: 4. Oncology Department, "G. Papageorgiou" Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lazaridis
authors.affiliation: 1. Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece;
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Organtzis
authors.affiliation: 1. Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece;
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kyriazis
authors.affiliation: 5. II Medical Department, Regional Hospital of "Coburg", Coburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hohenforst-Schmidt
authors.affiliation: 1. Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece;
authors.forename: Katerina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsirgogianni
authors.affiliation: 6. Oncology Department, "G. Papageorgiou" University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Vasilis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Karavasilis
authors.affiliation: 7. Oncology Department, "Interbalkan" European Medical Center, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baka
authors.affiliation: 8. University Pulmonary Department-Interventional Unit, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Kaid
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Darwiche
authors.affiliation: 8. University Pulmonary Department-Interventional Unit, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: Lutz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Freitag
authors.affiliation: 9. Department of Clinical Therapeutics, Division of Pulmonology, Medical School, National University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Trakada
authors.affiliation: 1. Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece;
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zarogoulidis
keywords: SCLC; lung cancer.; somatostatin