Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences

« Back to Farmacia Journal 5/2018

ADRENERGIC MODULATION OF MELANOMA CELLS PROLIFERATION

MIHAELA SURCEL 1,2, CONSTANTIN CĂRUNTU 3,4*, MIRCEA TAMPA 5, CLARA MATEI 5, SILVIU PIȚURU 5, SIMONA-ROXANA GEORGESCU 5, CAROLINA CONSTANTIN 1,7, SABINA ZURAC 6,7, MONICA NEAGU 1,2,7

1.Immunology Department, "Victor Babes” National Institute of Pathology, Bucharest, Romania
2.Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
3.Department of Physiology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
4.Department of Dermatology, “Prof. N. C. Paulescu” National Institute of Diabetes, Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases, Bucharest, Romania
5.Department of Dermatology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
6.Department of Pathology, Faculty of Dental Medicine, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
7.Colentina Clinical Hospital, Bucharest, Romania

Download Full Article PDF

Investigation of the complex cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying cutaneous melanoma development is of major interest in biomedical research. Within our study we have developed an in vitro experimental system using A375 human melanoma cell line to investigate the impact of adrenergic modulation in melanoma. Thus, we have studied the proliferative effect of norepinephrine and epinephrine in the absence and presence of several specific inhibitors. We have found that the pro-proliferative action of norepinephrine and epinephrine can be overridden by certain inhibitors. Moreover, for some of the inhibitors, membrane integrity hindering is associated with the actual decrease in the proliferative capacity of the tumoral cells. Our study continues a series of experimental data that shows neurotransmitters to be involved in the proliferation of melanoma cells and opens new research pathways for further therapeutic approaches in this field.