Celecoxib blocks morphine-induced tumor growth in mice

[Margerie]

Never knew morphine had an effect on tumor growth...

http://www.asco.org/ASCO/News/Cancer...reutersid=7680

[R.B.]

Margerie.

Thank you for posting. It is a thought provoking report.

It begs questions as to how morphine works in the Omega six downstream pathways. More reading required!

RB

[donocco5w4]

Its not so much that Morphine stimulates tumour growth, but the bodies natural opiates, the Endorphins can act as immunosuppressants and stimulate tumour growth. Both the action of Morphine and the Endorphins can be blocked by the opiate blocker Naltrexone.

There was an experiment where tumour growth could be stimulated when tumour bearing mice were exposed to very stressful situations. The tumour stimulating effect of the stress (in this experiment) could be blocked by Naltrexone. it was presumed that the stress stimulated the mice Endorphin system (to counteract the stress) and the endorphins stimulated tumour growth by acting as an immunosuppressant.

Paul (Pharmacist)

[R.B.]

Thank you for adding your knowledge Paul.

I know nothing about the action of pain killers, or pain pathways.

Re your post
http://lib.bioinfo.pl/auth:Farooqui,M "Naxalone acts as an agonist of oestrogen receptor acivity in MCF7 cells" Naxalone is stated to be an opioid receptor antagonist.

There is a parallel possible activity involving the sex hormone pathways. Intervention in the COX pathways has been shown to affect hormone levels. Opiod analgesics have been suggested to be able to impact in the hormone pathways, and it has been suggested as being a possible concern in Sports testing for example.

From the above it appears that morphine may intervene in the hormone pathways.

I looked morphine up on Wikipedia and it appears it intervenes in the immune pathways that have commonunlatites with COX pathways and products.



RB

[R.B.]

The trial appeared to be concerned as to the impact of morphine in management of pain in cancer, and its effects.

This post begs questions as to the impacts of opiods in surgery in term of promoting growth.

Here is the link for what I guess is the trial referred to.

http://www.nature.com/bjc/journal/v9.../6604057a.html

"Morphine and its congener opioids are the main therapy for severe pain in cancer. However, chronic morphine treatment stimulates angiogenesis and tumour growth in mice."

"Two weeks of chronic morphine treatment at clinically relevant doses stimulates COX-2 and PGE2 (4.5-fold compared to vehicle alone) and angiogenesis in breast tumours in mice."


This is another trial that suggests morphine has a link to COX 2 products.

http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=17751681

RB