Methionine enkephalin inhibited cervical carcinoma via apoptosis promotion and reduction of myeloid derived suppressor cell infiltrated in tumor

Int Immunopharmacol. 2022 Sep:110:108933. doi: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.108933. Epub 2022 Jun 20.

Abstract

Immunotherapy for cervical carcinoma is becoming increasingly important recently. In these studies methionine enkephalin (menk) is shown to inhibit cervical tumor cell proliferation in vitro in association with an increase in the expression of apoptosis markers and mediators, including an increase in fas, caspase 8, and caspase 3 expression and intrinsic expression of the signaling pathway mediator bax. In vivo, tumor growth was restrained in mice xenotransplant model with typical pathological features of apoptosis. Furthermore, myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) had a significant decrease in circulation and in tumor site. In brief, these findings showed menk could inhibit tumor growth in vitro and in vivo, providing direction of further research and clinical application prospect.

Keywords: Apoptosis; Cervical carcinoma; Immune regulation; Methionine encephalin; Opioid growth factor; Opioid growth factor receptor.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis
  • Carcinoma*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Enkephalin, Methionine / metabolism
  • Enkephalin, Methionine / pharmacology
  • Enkephalin, Methionine / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunologic Factors / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells*
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms* / drug therapy
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms* / metabolism

Substances

  • Immunologic Factors
  • Enkephalin, Methionine