Impact of serotonin on tumour growth.
- 1 January 2000
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Informa UK Limited in Annals of Medicine
- Vol. 32 (3), 187-194
- https://doi.org/10.3109/07853890008998826
Abstract
Several opposite effects of serotonin (5HT) on tumour growth have been reported. On one hand, 5HT is known as a growth factor for several types of nontumoural cells, and it has been proposed to take part in the autocrine loops of growth factors contributing to cell proliferation in aggressive tumours such as small cell lung carcinoma. Depending on the tumour type either 5HT2 or 5HT2 receptor antagonist have been found to inhibit the 5HT-induced increase in tumour growth. In contrast, several authors have also reported that 5HT and 5HT2 agonist can inhibit tumour growth. Most often this effect has been considered to be related with the specific vasoconstrictive effect of 5HT or 5HT2 agonists on the vessels irrigating the tumour, which has been evidenced by intravital microscopy. Intravital microscopy studies have also shown that vessels perfusing the tumour exhibit a specific vasconsmctive response to 5HT1 agonists. In addition, 5HT has been shown to be involved in the effects of several anticancer treatments associated with the reduction of tumour flow. Finally, the specific vasoconstrictive effect of 5HT or 5HT receptor subtype agonists might also be useful in inducing hypoxia in tumours, which could be exploited in a strategy using hypoxia-selective cytotoxins or hypoxia-selective gene therapy.Keywords
This publication has 32 references indexed in Scilit:
- Role of endothelial factors in the specific response of mouse tumour-feeding arterioles to stimulation of 5-HT1 receptorsInternational Journal of Radiation Biology, 1999
- Characterization of the specific response to serotonin of mouse tumour-feeding arteriolesInternational Journal of Radiation Biology, 1998
- EFFECTS OF HISTAMINE AND 5‐HYDROXYTRYPTAMINE ON THE GROWTH RATE OF XENOGRAFTED HUMAN BRONCHOGENIC CARCINOMASClinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology, 1996
- Venules and arterioles in xenotransplanted human colon adenocarcinoma critically constrict with hyperthermia and serotoninZeitschrift für Krebsforschung und Klinische Onkologie, 1995
- 5-HT1D receptor type is involved in stimulation of cell proliferation by serotonin in human small cell lung carcinomaEuropean Journal of Pharmacology: Molecular Pharmacology, 1994
- Vinca alkaloids: Anti-vascular effects in a murine tumourEuropean Journal Of Cancer, 1993
- Inhibition of growth of colon 38 adenocarcinoma by vinblastine and colchicine: Evidence for a vascular mechanismEuropean Journal of Cancer and Clinical Oncology, 1991
- Anti-tumour Effects of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) are Not Entirely Attributable to Its Effects on Tumour VasculatureInternational Journal of Radiation Biology, 1991
- Effect of 5-Hydroxytryptamine and Cyproheptadine on Tumour Blood Flow: Estimation by rate of cooling after microwave diathermyActa Radiologica: Therapy, Physics, Biology, 1964
- Effect of Breathing High Pressure Oxygen Upon Tissue Oxygen Tension in Rat and Mouse TumoursActa Radiologica: Therapy, Physics, Biology, 1963