Abstract
Opioid receptors are G-protein-coupled cell-surface receptors that are mainly expressed in neuronal cells. Stimulation of the kappa-opioid receptor expressed by cultured human epithelial cancer cells promotes staurosporine-induced apoptosis. In this study, while Bcl-2 did not inhibit staurosporine-induced apoptosis, it did inhibit the kappa-opioid receptor-mediated potentiation of apoptosis. The results suggest that Bcl-2 targets a step that is specific to the signaling pathway of the kappa-opioid receptor.
MeSH terms
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3,4-Dichloro-N-methyl-N-(2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-cyclohexyl)-benzeneacetamide, (trans)-Isomer / pharmacology
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Apoptosis / drug effects
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Apoptosis / physiology*
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Cell Line, Tumor
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Genes, bcl-2
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Humans
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / genetics*
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Receptors, Opioid, kappa / drug effects
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Receptors, Opioid, kappa / physiology*
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Staurosporine / pharmacology
Substances
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
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Receptors, Opioid, kappa
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3,4-Dichloro-N-methyl-N-(2-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-cyclohexyl)-benzeneacetamide, (trans)-Isomer
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Staurosporine