Breast cancer expresses functional NMDA receptors.

ABSTRACT: We demonstrate here that functional NMDAR1 and NMDAR2 receptors are expressed by Mcf-7 and SKBR3 breast cancer cell lines, and possibly by most or all high-grade breast tumors, and that these receptors are important for the growth of human breast cancer xenografts in mice. RT-PCR demonstrated mRNA for both NMDAR1 and NMDAR2 receptors are expressed in both Mcf-7 and SKBR3 cell lines, and these messages likely have sequences identical to those reported for human mRNAs. Proteins of the expected respective sizes 120 and 170 kD are generated from these mRNAs by the tumor cells. Cell growth was found to be significantly (P < 0.0001) impaired down to 10% of normal growth by the irreversible NMDAR1 antagonists MK-801 and memantine with IC 50s ranging from 600 to >800 microM and from 200 to 300 mic

SUBMITTER: North WG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4747431 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature