Morphine may act via DDX49 to inhibit hepatocellular carcinoma cell growth.

Abstract

Pain in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a frequent cause of low quality of life, and morphine is routinely used as a first-line opiate analgesic in HCC. Morphine may exert not only analgesic effects but also anti-cancer effects via unknown mechanisms. Here we show that morphine can inhibit HCC cell proliferation. We further show that DEAD-box helicase 49 (DDX49) is up-regulated in HCC tumors, and that knocking down the DDX49 gene decreases tumor formation in vivo and in vitro, as well as reduces tumor metastasis in vivo. Morphine decreases DDX49 expression in HCC cells. Our results suggest that DDX49 contributes to HCC, and that morphine may exert anti-cancer effects by down-regulating it.

• Authors: Huijun Dai, Jifeng Feng, Zhenhua Nan, Lijuan Wei, Fei Lin, Ren Jin, Suisui Zhang, Xiaoxia Wang, Linghui Pan
• Journal: Aging (Aging (Albany NY)) Vol. 13 Issue 9 Pg. 12766-12779 (05 05 2021) ISSN: 1945-4589 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 33952717 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Observational Study, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Morphine
• DDX49 protein, human
• DEAD-box RNA Helicases

Topics

• Aged
• Animals
• Apoptosis (drug effects, genetics)
• Cancer Pain (drug therapy, etiology)
• Carcinoma, Hepatocellular (complications, pathology, therapy)
• Cell Line, Tumor
• Cell Proliferation (drug effects)
• Chemotherapy, Adjuvant (methods)
• DEAD-box RNA Helicases (antagonists & inhibitors, genetics)
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Female
• Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic (drug effects)
• Gene Knockdown Techniques
• Hepatectomy
• Humans
• Liver (pathology, surgery)
• Liver Neoplasms (complications, pathology, therapy)
• MAP Kinase Signaling System (drug effects, genetics)
• Male
• Mice
• Middle Aged
• Morphine (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays