Opioid growth factor inhibits human neuroblastoma cell proliferation in tissue culture

J. Skitzki, P. McLaughlin

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Primary tumors of the nervous system, particularly neuroblastoma (NB), are the second most common cancer in children under the age of 15 and the 3rd leading cause of cancer-related death in adolescents and adults aged 15-34. An endogenous opioid, [Met5]-enkephalin, opioid growth factor (OGF), is known to be a direct acting, tonically active inhibitory agent of murine NB and a variety of non-neural human cancers in vivo and in vitro. This study examined the role of OGF on human NB grown in tissue culture. SK-N-SH cells were plated in 75 cm2 flasks and allowed to grow for 24 hr. At that time, 10-6M OGF or sterile water were added to the cultures; media and drugs were changed daily. Cells were harvested, stained with trypan blue, and counted using a hemacytometer at 12, 24, 48, and 72 hr following drug or vehicle administration. Growth of NB cells was inhibited 12% to 28% from control levels at all times. OGF action was dose-related, non-cytotoxic, and mediated by an opioid receptor. Furthermore, growth inhibition by OGF was reversible when peptide was removed and replaced with fresh media. These results suggest that OGF has a direct, tonic, inhibitory action on the growth of human NB.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)A108
JournalFASEB Journal
Volume11
Issue number3
StatePublished - 1997

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Biotechnology
  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

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