The tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline is cytotoxic to HTB114 human leiomyosarcoma and induces p75(NTR)-dependent apoptosis

Anticancer Drugs. 2013 Oct;24(9):899-910. doi: 10.1097/CAD.0b013e328364312f.

Abstract

Nerve growth factor (NGF) receptors, TrKA and p75(NTR), are being investigated in cancer therapy. Our previous data show that, in HTB114 uterine leiomyosarcoma cells, p75(NTR)-dependent apoptosis is inducible by cytotoxic drugs and can suppress nerve growth factor-dependent growth. Although amitriptyline can kill cancer cells and bind TrKA/B, its effects on p75-dependent apoptosis are unknown. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the antineoplastic potential of amitriptyline, and the role of p75(NTR)-dependent apoptosis in the chemoresistant uterine HTB114 leiomyosarcoma. Using proliferation assays and fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis, we found that amitriptyline caused a marked reduction in HTB114 cell viability, associated with the parallel upregulation of p75(NTR) expression. This converted the TrKA⁺-proliferating cells into TrKA⁺/p75(NTR⁺), leading to downregulation of TrKA-prosurvival signaling (AKT) and activation of p75(NTR)-dependent apoptosis (through caspase-3). Overall, we provide novel evidence that HTB114 uterine leiomyosarcoma cells are highly sensitive to amitriptyline, supporting the role of p75(NTR)-dependent apoptosis as a novel cytotoxic mechanism of this drug and of p75(NTR) as an inducible stress receptor and a novel target in clinical oncology.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amitriptyline / pharmacology*
  • Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / pharmacology*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects*
  • Caspase 3 / chemistry
  • Caspase 3 / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Down-Regulation / drug effects
  • Enzyme Activation / drug effects
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Leiomyosarcoma / drug therapy*
  • Leiomyosarcoma / metabolism
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy
  • Neoplasm Proteins / agonists
  • Neoplasm Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Neoplasm Proteins / metabolism
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / agonists
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism*
  • Receptor, trkA / metabolism
  • Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor / agonists
  • Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Up-Regulation / drug effects
  • Uterine Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Uterine Neoplasms / metabolism

Substances

  • Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • NGFR protein, human
  • Neoplasm Proteins
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor
  • Amitriptyline
  • Receptor, trkA
  • CASP3 protein, human
  • Caspase 3