Histamine receptor 1 inhibition enhances antitumor therapeutic responses through extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation in breast cancer

The role of histamine and its receptors in breast cancer: from pathology to therapeutic targets

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women, and despite the development of new treatment methods and the decreasing mortality rate in recent years, one of the clinical problems in breast cancer treatment is chronic inflammation in the tumor microenvironment. Histamine, an inflammatory mediator, is produced by tumor cells and can induce chronic inflammation and the growth of some tumors by recruiting inflammatory cells. It can also affect tumor physiopathology, antitumor treatment efficiency, and patient survival. Antihistamines, as histamine receptor antagonists, play a role in modulating the effects of these receptors in tumor cells and can affect some treatment methods for breast cancer therapy; in this review, we investigate the role of histamine, its receptors, and antihistamines in breast cancer pathology and treatment methods.

Pathophysiological role of histamine signaling and its implications in glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM), an extremely aggressive and prevalent malignant brain tumor, remains a challenge to treat. Despite a multimodality treatment approach, GBM recurrence remains inevitable, particularly with the emergence of temozolomide (TMZ) resistance and limited treatment options. Surprisingly, previous studies show that a history of allergies, atopy, or asthma is inversely associated with GBM risk. Further, the electronic medical record at the University Hospital of Lausanne showed that the GBM patients taking antihistamine during treatment had better survival. Histamine is an essential neurotransmitter in the brain and plays a significant role in regulating sleep, hormonal balance, and cognitive functions. Elevated levels of histamine and increased histamine receptor expression have been found in different tumors and their microenvironments, including GBM. High histamine 1 receptor (HRH1) expression is inversely related to overall and progression-free survival in GBM patients, further emphasizing the role of histamine in disease progression. This review aims to provide insights into the challenges of GBM treatment, the role of histamine in GBM progression, and the rationale for considering antihistamines as targeted therapy. The review concludes by encouraging further investigation into antihistamine mechanisms and their impact on the tumor microenvironment.

Terfenadine, a histamine H1 receptor antagonist, induces apoptosis by suppressing STAT3 signaling in human colorectal cancer HCT116 cells

Introduction

Colorectal cancer is a highly aggressive and metastatic cancer with inadequate clinical outcomes. Given the crucial role of histamine and histamine receptors in colorectal carcinogenesis, this study aimed at exploring the anticancer effects of terfenadine against colorectal cancer HCT116 cells and elucidate its underlying mechanism.

Methods

Herein, we examined the effect of terfenadine on growth and proliferation of HCT116 cells in vitro and in vivo. Various experimental techniques such as flow cytometry, western blot, immunoprecipitation, luciferase assay were employed to unveil the mechanism of cell death triggered by terfenadine.

Results

Terfenadine markedly attenuated the viability of HCT116 cells by abrogating histamine H1 receptor (H1R) signaling. In addition, terfenadine modulated the balance of Bax and Bcl-2, triggering cytochrome c discharge in the cytoplasm, thereby stimulating the caspase cascade and poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) degradation. Moreover, terfenadine suppressed murine double minute-2 (Mdm2) expression, whereas p53 expression increased. Terfenadine suppressed STAT3 phosphorylation and expression of its gene products by inhibiting MEK/ERK and JAK2 activation in HCT116 cells. Furthermore, treatment with U0126, a MEK inhibitor, and AG490, a JAK2 inhibitor, dramatically diminished the phosphorylations of ERK1/2 and JAK2, respectively, leading to STAT3 downregulation. Likewise, terfenadine diminished the complex formation of MEK1/2 with β-arrestin 2. In addition, terfenadine dwindled the phosphorylation of PKC substrates. Terfenadine administration (10 mg/kg) substantially retarded the growth of HCT116 tumor xenografts in vivo.

Conclusion

Terfenadine induces the apoptosis of HCT116 cells by abrogating STAT3 signaling. Overall, this study supports terfenadine as a prominent anticancer therapy for colorectal cancer.

The tumor-nerve circuit in breast cancer

It is well established that innervation is one of the updated hallmarks of cancer and that psychological stress promotes the initiation and progression of cancer. The breast tumor environment includes not only fibroblasts, adipocytes, endothelial cells, and lymphocytes but also neurons, which is increasingly discovered important in breast cancer progression. Peripheral nerves, especially sympathetic, parasympathetic, and sensory nerves, have been reported to play important but different roles in breast cancer. However, their roles in the breast cancer progression and treatment are still controversial. In addition, the brain is one of the favorite sites of breast cancer metastasis. In this review, we first summarize the innervation of breast cancer and its mechanism in regulating cancer growth and metastasis. Next, we summarize the neural-related molecular markers in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. In addition, we review drugs and emerging technologies used to block the interactions between nerves and breast cancer. Finally, we discuss future research directions in this field. In conclusion, the further research in breast cancer and its interactions with innervated neurons or neurotransmitters is promising in the clinical management of breast cancer.

Computational Analysis of Histamine Protonation Effects on H1R Binding

Despite numerous studies investigating histamine and its receptors, the impact of histamine protonation states on binding to the histamine H1-receptor (H1R) has remained elusive. Therefore, we assessed the influence of different histamine tautomers (τ-tautomer, π-tautomer) and charge states (mono- vs. dicationic) on the interaction with the ternary histamine-H1R-G_q complex. In atomistic molecular dynamics simulations, the τ-tautomer formed stable interactions with the receptor, while the π-tautomer induced a rotation of the histamine ring by 180° and formed only weaker hydrogen bonding interactions. This suggests that the τ-tautomer is more relevant for stabilization of the active ternary histamine-H1R-G_q complex. In addition to the two monocationic tautomers, the binding of dicationic histamine was investigated, whose interaction with the H1R had been observed in a previous experimental study. Our simulations showed that the dication is less compatible with the ternary histamine-H1R-G_q complex and rather induces an inactive conformation in the absence of the G_q protein. Our data thus indicate that the charge state of histamine critically affects its interactions with the H1R. Ultimately these findings might have implications for the future development of new ligands that stabilize distinct H1R activation states.

Advancing metabolic networks and mapping updated urinary metabolic fingerprints after exposure to typical carcinogenic heterocyclic aromatic amines

Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) were not only present in cooked foods and cigarette smoke, but also measured in airborne particles and diesel-exhaust particles. Typical HAAs have been reported to induce carcinogenicity and metabolic disturbances, but how these hazardous compounds interfere with metabolic networks by regulating metabolic pathways and fingerprinting signature metabolites as biomarkers remains ambiguous. We developed an advanced strategy that adopted chemical isotope labeling ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole-Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry for urinary nontargeted metabolomics analysis to gain new insight into in vivo physiological responses stimulated by exposure to typical HAAs. Rats were orally administered with a single dose of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) or 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx) (1 and 10 mg/kg bw) and their D₃-isotopic compounds, respectively, and urine samples were then continuously collected within 36 h. Metabolomics data were acquired and processed by classical multivariate statistical analysis, while urinary metabolites were further identified and characterized according to mass spectrometric fragmentation rules, time- and dose-dependent profiles, and calibration of synthesized standards. We monitored 23 and 37 urinary metabolites as the biotransformation products of PhIP and MeIQx, respectively, and first identified demethylated metabolites of PhIP, tentatively named 2-amino-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine, and dihydroxylation products of classical HAAs as short-term biomarkers of exposure to further unravel the metabolic networks. In addition, our findings revealed that both HAAs significantly disturb histidine metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, tricarboxylic acid cycle, etc. Furthermore, we found that histamine, methionine, alanine, and 4-guanidinobutanoic acid could be considered potential characteristic biomarkers for the oncogenicity or carcinogenicity of both PhIP and MeIQx and screened their specific key pivotal metabolites. The current metabolomics approach is applicable in mapping updated urinary metabolic fingerprints and identifying potential specific biomarkers for HAAs-induced early tumorigenesis.

Integrative analysis of small non-coding RNAs predicts a piRNA/miRNA-CCND1/BRAF/HRH1/ATXN3 regulatory circuit that drives oncogenesis in glioblastoma

The high-grade astrocytoma, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), is the most common primary tumour of the brain, known for being aggressive and developing drug resistance. The non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), such as microRNAs (miRNAs) and Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), have critical functions in tumorigenesis and cancer drug resistance. Hence, we profiled miRNAs, piRNAs, and genes in U-87 MG GBM cells by next-generation sequencing and performed target prediction, pathway enrichment, protein-protein interaction, co-expression studies, and qRT-PCR validations to predict their possible roles in the malignancy. The study identified 335 miRNAs, 665 piRNAs, and 4286 genes differentially expressed (DE) in GBM. Among them 128 DE genes (DEGs) were targeted by both miRNAs and piRNAs, while 1817 and 192 were targeted solely by miRNAs or piRNAs, respectively. Interestingly, all the DEG targets enriched in cancer processes were overexpressed in GBM. Among these, BRAF was solely targeted by two piRNAs and this was found to be co-expressed with 19 sole targets of 5 miRNAs, including CCND1, and both were found to regulate cell proliferation in cancer. We conjectured that upregulated HRH1 and ATXN3 were targeted by both piRNAs and miRNAs, and along with BRAF and CCND1 might induce cell proliferation in GBM through G-protein-coupled receptor or Akt signalling pathways due to downregulation of the respective targeting small RNAs. These targets were also linked to the progression and overall survival of GBM patients, suggesting that they could be used as biomarkers. Overall, this study has identified a few novel ncRNA targets, which might aid in a better understanding of GBM pathogenesis.

In Vitro and In Vivo Comparative Analysis of Differentially Expressed Genes and Signaling Pathways in Breast Cancer Cells on Interaction with Mesenchymal Stem Cells

The interaction of breast cancer cells (BCC) with mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) plays a vital role in influencing the gene expression in breast cancer cells and thereby its uncontrolled proliferation, metastasis, and drug resistance. The extent of MSC governing the BCC or the extent of BCC influencing the MSC is a complex process, and the interaction strongly depends upon conditions such as the presence or absence of other cell types and in vivo tumor microenvironment or simple in vitro conditions. Hence, understanding this interaction through gene expression profiling may provide key insights about potential genes which can be targeted for breast cancer treatment. In the current study, in vitro microarray dataset and in vivo RNA-seq dataset of BCC on interaction with the MSC were downloaded from NCBI GEO database and analyzed for differentially expressed genes (DEGs), gene ontology (GO) term enrichment, and Reactome pathway analysis. To target the genes which have similar effect on both in vitro and in vivo, a comparative analysis was performed, 24 genes were commonly upregulated in both in vitro and in vivo datasets, while no common downregulated genes were observed. Out of which, 16 significant genes based upon fold change (logFC > 2) are identified for manipulating the interactions between MSC and BCC. Among them, 6 of the identified genes (FSTL1, LOX, SERPINE1, INHBA, FN1, and VEGFA) have already been reported to be upregulated in BCC on interaction with MSC by various studies. Further experiments need to be conducted to understand the role of remaining 10 identified genes (EFEMP1, IGFBP3, EDIL3, IFITM1, IGFBP4, ITGA5, SLC3A2, HRH1, PPP1R15A, and NNMT) in MSC-BCC interaction. In addition to the reported significant genes and its associated pathways, the expression of long non-coding RNA identified in this study may increase our understanding about the way MSC interacts with BCC and accelerate MSC-based treatment strategies for breast cancer.

Molecular links between allergy and cancer

Epidemiologic studies show both positive and negative associations between allergies and cancer. Allergic diseases may protect against tumorigenesis by promoting the immune surveillance, while carcinogenesis may be promoted through inflammatory responses from allergies. Histamine receptor antagonists are the focus of recent cancer studies because of their promising beneficial effect on tumor development. Also, cytokines, particularly IL-4 or IL-33, IgE as well as allergy-related immune cells such as eosinophils can contribute to tumor growth suppression. Depending on cancer types, cancer therapy may be more beneficial when considering combinatorial immunotherapy. In this review, we give an overview on molecular links between allergies and cancer.

Terfenadine resensitizes doxorubicin activity in drug-resistant ovarian cancer cells via an inhibition of CaMKII/CREB1 mediated ABCB1 expression

Ovarian cancer is one of the most lethal gynecological malignancies. Recurrence or acquired chemoresistance is the leading cause of ovarian cancer therapy failure. Overexpression of ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 1 (ABCB1), commonly known as P-glycoprotein, correlates closely with multidrug resistance (MDR). However, the mechanism underlying aberrant ABCB1 expression remains unknown. Using a quantitative high-throughput combinational screen, we identified that terfenadine restored doxorubicin sensitivity in an MDR ovarian cancer cell line. In addition, RNA-seq data revealed that the Ca2+-mediated signaling pathway in the MDR cells was abnormally regulated. Moreover, our research demonstrated that terfenadine directly bound to CAMKIID to prevent its autophosphorylation and inhibit the activation of the cAMP-responsive element-binding protein 1 (CREB1)-mediated pathway. Direct inhibition of CAMKII or CREB1 had the same phenotypic effects as terfenadine in the combined treatment, including lower expression of ABCB1 and baculoviral IAP repeat-containing 5 (BIRC5, also known as survivin) and increased doxorubicin-induced apoptosis. In this study, we demonstrate that aberrant regulation of the Ca2+-mediated CAMKIID/CREB1 pathway contributes to ABCB1 over-expression and MDR creation and that CAMKIID and CREB1 are attractive targets for restoring doxorubicin efficacy in ABCB1-mediated MDR ovarian cancer.

Classification and Prognosis Analysis of Pancreatic Cancer Based on DNA Methylation Profile and Clinical Information

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) has a poor prognosis with high individual variation in the treatment response among patients; however, there is no standard molecular typing method for PAAD prognosis in clinical practice. We analyzed DNA methylation data from The Cancer Genome Atlas database, which identified 1235 differentially methylated DNA genes between PAAD and adjacent tissue samples. Among these, 78 methylation markers independently affecting PAAD prognosis were identified after adjusting for significant clinical factors. Based on these genes, two subtypes of PAAD were identified through consistent clustering. Fourteen specifically methylated genes were further identified to be associated with survival. Further analyses of the transcriptome data identified 301 differentially expressed cancer driver genes between the two PAAD subtypes and the degree of immune cell infiltration differed significantly between the subtypes. The 14 specific genes characterizing the unique methylation patterns of the subtypes were used to construct a Bayesian network-based prognostic prediction model for typing that showed good predictive value (area under the curve value of 0.937). This study provides new insight into the heterogeneity of pancreatic tumors from an epigenetic perspective, offering new strategies and targets for personalized treatment plan evaluation and precision medicine for patients with PAAD.

Integrative analyses of genes related to liver ischemia reperfusion injury

Background

Liver ischemia reperfusion injury (LIRI) is not only a common injury during liver transplantation and major hepatic surgery, but also one of the primary factors that affect the outcome of postoperative diseases. However, there are still no reliable ways to tackle the problem. Our study aimed to find some characteristic genes associated with immune infiltration that affect LIRI, which can provide some insights for future research in the future. Therefore, it is essential for the treatment of LIRI, the elucidation of the mechanisms of LIRI, and exploring the potential biomarkers. Efficient microarray and bioinformatics analyses can promote the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of disease occurrence and development.

Method

Data from GSE151648 were downloaded from GEO data sets, and we performed a comprehensive analysis of the differential expression, biological functions and interactions of LIRI-associated genes. Then we performed Gene ontology (GO) analysis and Kyotoencydlopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis of DEGs. At last, we performed a protein-protein interaction network to screen out hub genes.

Results

A total of 161 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. GO analysis results revealed that the changes in the modules were mostly enriched in the neutrophil degranulation, neutrophil activation involved in immune response, and neutrophil mediated immunity. KEGG enrichment analysis of DEGs demonstrated that LIRI mainly involved the cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction. Our data indicated that macrophages and neutrophils are closely related to LIRI. 9 hub genes were screened out in the protein-protein interaction network.

Conclusions

In summary, our data indicated that neutrophil degranulation, neutrophil activation involved in immune response, neutrophil mediated immunity and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction may play a key role in LIRI, HRH1, LRP2, P2RY6, PKD1L1, SLC8A3 and TNFRSF8, which were identified as potential biomarkers in the occurrence and development of LIRI. However, further studies are needed to validate these findings and explore the molecular mechanism of these biomarkers in LIRI.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Utilizes Host Histamine Receptor H1 to Modulate Reactive Oxygen Species Production and Phagosome Maturation via the p38MAPK-NOX2 Axis

Tuberculosis (TB), which is caused by the single pathogenic bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is among the top 10 lethal diseases worldwide. This situation has been exacerbated by the increasing number of cases of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB). Histamine is an organic nitrogenous compound that mediates a plethora of cell processes via different receptors. The expression of histamine receptor H1 (HRH1), one of the four histamine receptors identified to date was previously reported to be augmented by M. tuberculosis infection, although the underlying mechanism is unclear. In the present study, we applied confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, and Western blotting to show that HRH1 expression was enhanced in macrophages following mycobacterial infection. Furthermore, by combining techniques of gene knockdown, immunoprecipitation, intracellular bacterial burden analysis, fluorescence labeling, and imaging, we found that M. tuberculosis targeted the host HRH1 to suppress NOX2-mediated cROS production and inhibit phagosome maturation and acidification via the GRK2-p38MAPK signaling pathway. Our findings clarified the underlying mechanism of the M. tuberculosis and host HRH1 interaction and may provide useful information for the development of novel antituberculosis treatments.

Optimization of Peptide Linker-Based Fluorescent Ligands for the Histamine H1 Receptor

The histamine H₁ receptor (H₁R) has recently been implicated in mediating cell proliferation and cancer progression; therefore, high-affinity H₁R-selective fluorescent ligands are desirable tools for further investigation of this behavior in vitro and in vivo. We previously reported a H₁R fluorescent ligand, bearing a peptide-linker, based on antagonist VUF13816 and sought to further explore structure-activity relationships (SARs) around the linker, orthostere, and fluorescent moieties. Here, we report a series of high-affinity H₁R fluorescent ligands varying in peptide linker composition, orthosteric targeting moiety, and fluorophore. Incorporation of a boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) 630/650-based fluorophore conferred high binding affinity to our H₁R fluorescent ligands, remarkably overriding the linker SAR observed in corresponding unlabeled congeners. Compound 31a, both potent and subtype-selective, enabled H₁R visualization using confocal microscopy at a concentration of 10 nM. Molecular docking of 31a with the human H₁R predicts that the optimized peptide linker makes interactions with key residues in the receptor.

Combined impacts of histamine receptor H1 gene polymorphisms and an environmental carcinogen on the susceptibility to and progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most frequently encountered type of oral cancer. Histamine receptor H1 (HRH1) was reported to play a crucial role in OSCC carcinogenesis, but impacts of genetic variants of HRH1 on OSCC remain unclear. Herein, we investigated the association between functional single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of HRH1 and OSCC susceptibility or clinicopathologic variables by logistic regression models. HRH1 genotypes at four loci (rs346074, rs346076, rs901865, and rs2606731) were analyzed by a TaqMan allelic discrimination assay, and we found that patients harboring HRH1 rs901865 T and rs346074 T alleles had a significantly lower risk of developing larger tumor sizes (>T2) under a dominant model. Based on the environmental carcinogen exposure status, we observed that HRH1 rs901865 polymorphic variants were also associated with a lower risk of developing more-advanced clinical stages (III or IV) in patients with a betel-quid-chewing habit. Moreover, genotype screening of rs901865 and rs346074 in OSCC cell lines showed that cells respectively carrying the CT and TT genotypes expressed lower HRH1 levels compared to cells carrying the CC genotype of rs901865 and rs346074. Furthermore, analyses of TCGA and GEO databases revealed that HRH1 expression levels were upregulated in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and OSCC tissues compared to normal tissues and were correlated with larger tumor sizes and poorer prognoses. These results indicated the involvement of HRH1 SNPs rs901865 and rs346074 in OSCC development and support the interaction between HRH1 gene polymorphisms and an environmental carcinogen as a predisposing factor for OSCC progression.

Evaluation of the Differences in the Expression of Biogenic Amine-Related mRNAs and Proteins in Endometrioid Endometrial Cancer

Biogenic amines, such as adrenaline, noradrenaline, histamine, dopamine, and serotonin are important neurotransmitters that also regulate cell viability. Their detection and analysis are helpful in the diagnosis of many diseases, including cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the expression profile of the biogenic amine-related genes and proteins in endometrioid endometrial cancer compared to the control group. The material consisted of endometrial tissue samples and whole blood collected from 30 endometrioid endometrial cancer patients and 30 cancer-free patients. The gene expression was determined by the mRNA microarrays and validated by qRT-PCR. Protein levels were determined in the serum by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Overexpression of histamine H1–H3 receptors and early growth response 1 and silencing of calmodulin, the histamine H4 receptor, and the dopamine D5 receptor have been reported in endometrioid endometrial cancer. The obtained results indicate disturbances in the signaling activated by histamine and dopamine receptors, which could potentially contribute to the progression of endometrioid endometrial cancer.

Characterization of immune landscape in papillary thyroid cancer reveals distinct tumor immunogenicity and implications for immunotherapy

Although the vast majority of patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) have a favorable prognosis when conventional treatments are implemented, local recurrence and distant metastasis of advanced PTCs still hamper the survival and clinical management in certain patients. As immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy achieves a great success in some advanced cancers, we aimed to investigate the immune landscape in PTC and its potential implications for prognosis and immunotherapy. In this study, different algorithms were conducted to estimate immune infiltration in PTC samples. A series of bioinformatic and machine learning approaches were performed to identify PTC-specific immune-related genes (IRGs) and distinct immune clusters. Differences in intrinsic tumor immunogenicity and potential immunotherapy response were observed between distinct immune clusters. A prognostic immune-related signature (IRS) was established to predict progression-free survival (PFS). IRS exhibited more powerful prognostic capacity and accurate survival prediction compared to conventional clinicopathological features. Furthermore, an integrated survival decision tree and a scoring nomogram were constructed to improve prognostic stratification and predictive accuracy for individual patients. In addition, altered pathways, mutational patterns, and potential applicable drugs were analyzed in different immune-related risk groups. Our study gained some insight into the immune landscape of PTC, and provided some useful clues for introducing immune-based molecular classification into risk stratification and guiding ICB decision-making.

Histamine signaling and metabolism identify potential biomarkers and therapies for lymphangioleiomyomatosis

Inhibition of mTOR is the standard of care for lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM). However, this therapy has variable tolerability and some patients show progressive decline of lung function despite treatment. LAM diagnosis and monitoring can also be challenging due to the heterogeneity of symptoms and insufficiency of non-invasive tests. Here, we propose monoamine-derived biomarkers that provide preclinical evidence for novel therapeutic approaches. The major histamine-derived metabolite methylimidazoleacetic acid (MIAA) is relatively more abundant in LAM plasma, and MIAA values are independent of VEGF-D. Higher levels of histamine are associated with poorer lung function and greater disease burden. Molecular and cellular analyses, and metabolic profiling confirmed active histamine signaling and metabolism. LAM tumorigenesis is reduced using approved drugs targeting monoamine oxidases A/B (clorgyline and rasagiline) or histamine H1 receptor (loratadine), and loratadine synergizes with rapamycin. Depletion of Maoa or Hrh1 expression, and administration of an L-histidine analog, or a low L-histidine diet, also reduce LAM tumorigenesis. These findings extend our knowledge of LAM biology and suggest possible ways of improving disease management.

Pathophysiological Roles of Histamine Receptors in Cancer Progression: Implications and Perspectives as Potential Molecular Targets

High levels of histamine and histamine receptors (HRs), including H1R~H4R, are found in many different types of tumor cells and cells in the tumor microenvironment, suggesting their involvement in tumor progression. This review summarizes the latest evidence demonstrating the pathophysiological roles of histamine and its cognate receptors in cancer biology. We also discuss the novel therapeutic approaches of selective HR ligands and their potential prognostic values in cancer treatment. Briefly, histamine is highly implicated in cancer development, growth, and metastasis through interactions with distinct HRs. It also regulates the infiltration of immune cells into the tumor sites, exerting an immunomodulatory function. Moreover, the effects of various HR ligands, including H1R antagonists, H2R antagonists, and H4R agonists, on tumor progression in many different cancer types are described. Interestingly, the expression levels of HR subtypes may serve as prognostic biomarkers in several cancers. Taken together, HRs are promising targets for cancer treatment, and HR ligands may offer novel therapeutic potential, alone or in combination with conventional therapy. However, due to the complexity of the pathophysiological roles of histamine and HRs in cancer biology, further studies are warranted before HR ligands can be introduced into clinical settings.

Screening anti-metastasis drugs by cell adhesion-induced color change in a biochip

Metastasis is a frequent complication of cancer and accounts for more than 60% of patients' mortality. Despite technological advancements, treatment options are still limited. Ion channels participate in the regulation of cell adhesion, whilst the regulation of cell adhesion further controls metastasis formation. However, to develop a new ion channel inhibitor targeting metastasis takes tremendous effort and resources; therefore, drug repurposing is an emerging strategy in oncology. In previous studies, we have developed a metal-based nanoslit surface plasmon resonance (SPR) platform to examine the influence of drugs on the cell adhesion process. In this work, we developed a scanner-based cell adhesion kinetic examination (CAKE) system that is capable of monitoring the cell adhesion process by measuring color changes of SPR biosensors. The system's performance was demonstrated by screening the anti-metastasis ability of compounds from a commercial ion-channel inhibitor library. Out of the 274 compounds from the inhibitor library, zinc pyrithione (ZPT) and terfenadine were demonstrated to influence CL1-5 cell adhesion. The cell responses to the two compounds were then compared with those by traditional cell adhesion assays where similar behavior was observed. Further investigation of the two compounds using wound healing and transwell assays was performed and inhibitions of both cell migration and invasion by the two compounds were also observed. The results indicate that ZPT and terfenadine are potential candidates for anti-metastasis drugs. Our work has demonstrated the label-free drug screening ability of our CAKE system for finding potential drugs for cancer treatment.

Strategies for the treatment of breast cancer: from classical drugs to mathematical models

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers and generally affects women. It is a heterogeneous disease that presents different entities, different biological characteristics, and differentiated clinical behaviors. With this in mind, this literature review had as its main objective to analyze the path taken from the simple use of classical drugs to the application of mathematical models, which through the many ongoing studies, have been considered as one of the reliable strategies, explaining the reasons why chemotherapy is not always successful. Besides, the most commonly mentioned strategies are immunotherapy, which includes techniques and therapies such as the use of antibodies, cytokines, antitumor vaccines, oncolytic and genomic viruses, among others, and nanoparticles, including metallic, magnetic, polymeric, liposome, dendrimer, micelle, and others, as well as drug reuse, which is a process by which new therapeutic indications are found for existing and approved drugs. The most commonly used pharmacological categories are cardiac, antiparasitic, anthelmintic, antiviral, antibiotic, and others. For the efficient development of reused drugs, there must be a process of exchange of purposes, methods, and information already available, and for their better understanding, computational mathematical models are then used, of which the methods of blind search or screening, based on the target, knowledge, signature, pathway or network and the mechanism to which it is directed, stand out. To conclude it should be noted that these different strategies can be applied alone or in combination with each other always to improve breast cancer treatment.

Inhibitory effect of terfenadine on Kir2.1 and Kir2.3 channels

Terfenadine is a second-generation H1-antihistamine that despite potentially can produce severe side effects it has recently gained attention due to its anticancer properties. Lately, the subfamily 2 of inward rectifier potassium channels (Kir2) has been implicated in the progression of some tumoral processes. Hence, we characterized the effects of terfenadine on Kir2.x channels expressed in HEK-293 cells. Terfenadine inhibited Kir2.3 channels with a strikingly greater potency (IC50 = 1.06 ± 0.11 μmol L-1) compared to Kir2.1 channels (IC50 = 27.8 ± 4.8 μmol L-1). The Kir2.3(I213L) mutant, possessing a larger affinity for phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) than the wild-type Kir2.3, was less sensitive to terfenadine inhibition (IC50 = 13.0 ± 2.9 μmol L-1). Additionally, the PIP2 intracellular application had largely reduced the inhibition of Kir2.1 channels by terfenadine. Our data support that Kir2.x channels are targets of terfena-dine by affecting their interaction with PIP2, which could be regarded as a mechanism of the antitumor properties of terfenadine.

Putative N-glycoprotein markers of MCF-7/ADR cancer stem cells from N-glycoproteomics characterization of the whole cell lysate

Breast cancer is one of the most malignant diseases among females. N-glycoproteomics studies have shown that N-glycosylation alteration of tumor cells is the key player of cancer progression, multidrug resistance (MDR) and high mortality. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have the remarkable potential of self-renewing and differentiation which leads to drug resistance and metastasis. To investigate the differentially expressed N-glycosylation in adriamycin-resistant breast cancer stem cells MCF-7/ADR CSCs (relative to MCF-7 CSCs) and find the putative biomarkers, 1:1 paired ZIC-HILIC-enriched and stable isotopic diethyl labelled (SIDE) intact N-glycopeptides from MCF-7/ADR CSCs and MCF-7 CSCs were analyzed with C18-RPLC-ESI-MS/MS (HCD with stepped NCE); differentially expressed intact N-glycopeptides (DEGPs) were identified and quantified via search engine GPSeeker. With control of spectrum-level FDR≤1%, 5515 intact N-glycopeptides were identified (1737 N-glycosites, 1705 peptide backbones and 1516 intact N-glycoproteins; 181 putative N-glycan linkages and 68 monosaccharide compositions). Among 5515 intact N-glycopeptide IDs, 3864 were identified with glycoform score≥1, i.e., one or more structure-diagnostic fragment ions were observed to distinguish sequence isomers. With the three technical replicates and the criteria of fold change≥1.5 and p value<0.05, 380 DEGPs (corresponding to 153 intact N-glycoproteins) were found along with 293 down-regulated and 87 up-regulated. For these 153 intact N-glycoproteins, the molecular functions and biological processes of were comprehensively discussed, and side-to-side comparison of differential expression results with other method were also made.

Biased agonism at histamine H1 receptor: Desensitization, internalization and MAPK activation triggered by antihistamines

Histamine H₁ receptor ligands used clinically as antiallergics rank among the most widely prescribed and over-the-counter drugs in the world. They exert the therapeutic actions by blocking the effects of histamine, due to null or negative efficacy towards Gα_q-phospholipase C (PLC)-inositol triphosphates (IP₃)-Ca²⁺ and nuclear factor-kappa B cascades. However, there is no information regarding their ability to modulate other receptor responses. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether histamine H₁ receptor ligands could display positive efficacy concerning receptor desensitization, internalization, signaling through Gα_q independent pathways or even transcriptional regulation of proinflammatory genes. While diphenhydramine, triprolidine and chlorpheniramine activate ERK1/2 (extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2) pathway in A549 cells, pre-treatment with chlorpheniramine or triprolidine completely desensitize histamine H₁ receptor mediated Ca²⁺ response, and both diphenhydramine and triprolidine lead to receptor internalization. Unlike histamine, histamine H₁ receptor desensitization and internalization induced by antihistamines prove to be independent of G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) phosphorylation. Also, unlike the reference agonist, the recovery of the number of cell-surface histamine H₁ receptors is a consequence of de novo synthesis. On the other hand, all of the ligands lack efficacy regarding cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) mRNA regulation. However, a prolonged exposure with each of the antihistamines impaires the increase in COX-2 and IL-8 mRNA levels induced by histamine, even after ligand removal. Altogether, these findings demonstrate the biased nature of histamine H₁ receptor ligands contributing to a more accurate classification, and providing evidence for a more rational and safe use of them.

Desloratadine and loratadine stand out among common H1-antihistamines for association with improved breast cancer survival

BACKGROUND

As tumors maintain an inflammatory microenvironment, anti-inflammatory medication can be useful in cancer therapy. We have previously shown an association with improved survival in melanoma for use of the H₁-antihistamines desloratadine and loratadine, and here we examine use of H₁-antihistamines and breast cancer mortality.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We investigated use of the six major H₁-antihistamines (cetirizine, clemastine, desloratadine, ebastine, fexofenadine and loratadine) and breast cancer-specific and overall mortality in a nation-wide register-based study of all 61,627 Swedish women diagnosed with breast cancer 2006-2013. Both peri- and post-diagnostic antihistamine use was analyzed using Cox regression models. Analyses were stratified for age and subgroup analyses based on estrogen receptor status and menopausal status were performed.

RESULTS

We found a consistently improved survival of desloratadine users (HR = 0.67; 95% CI 0.55-0.81, p < .001), as well as of loratadine users (HR = 0.80; 95% CI 0.67-0.95, p = .012), relative to nonusers, regardless of patient age, menopause, estrogen receptor status or stage of the tumor, or whether breast cancer-specific or overall survival was analyzed. The survival of users of other antihistamines varied relative to non-users.

CONCLUSION

Based on their safety and current use within the patient population, together with our observations, we suggest the initiation of trials of desloratadine and loratadine as treatment of breast cancer as well as studies of the mechanism behind their possible effect. Further studies on any effects of other H₁-antihistamines may also be merited, as well as of H₁-antihistamine use and survival in other malignancies.

Novel Therapeutic Approaches of Ion Channels and Transporters in Cancer

The expression and function of many ion channels and transporters in cancer cells display major differences in comparison to those from healthy cells. These differences provide the cancer cells with advantages for tumor development. Accordingly, targeting ion channels and transporters have beneficial anticancer effects including inhibition of cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion, metastasis, tumor vascularization, and chemotherapy resistance, as well as promoting apoptosis. Some of the molecular mechanisms associating ion channels and transporters with cancer include the participation of oxidative stress, immune response, metabolic pathways, drug synergism, as well as noncanonical functions of ion channels. This diversity of mechanisms offers an exciting possibility to suggest novel and more effective therapeutic approaches to fight cancer. Here, we review and discuss most of the current knowledge suggesting novel therapeutic approaches for cancer therapy targeting ion channels and transporters. The role and regulation of ion channels and transporters in cancer provide a plethora of exceptional opportunities in drug design, as well as novel and promising therapeutic approaches that may be used for the benefit of cancer patients.

Apigenin Inhibits Histamine-Induced Cervical Cancer Tumor Growth by Regulating Estrogen Receptor Expression

Apigenin is a natural flavone with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and antitumor abilities against several types of cancers. Previous studies have found that the antitumor effects of apigenin may be due to its similar chemical structure to 17β-estradiol (E2), a main kind of estrogen in women. However, the precise mechanism underlying the antitumor effects of apigenin in cervical cancer remains unknown. On the other hand, there is increasing evidence that describes a histamine role in cancer cell proliferation. In this study, we examined whether apigenin can attenuate the effects of histamine on tumors by regulating the expression level of estrogen receptors (ERs) to inhibit cervical cancer growth. Our in vitro data indicates that apigenin inhibited cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner in human cervical cancer cells (HeLa), while histamine shows the opposite effects. After that, the xenograft model was established to explore the antitumor effects of apigenin in vivo, the results show that apigenin inhibited cervical tumor growth by reversing the abnormal ER signal in tumor tissue which was caused by histamine. We also demonstrate that apigenin inhibited cell proliferation via suppressing the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Collectively, our results suggest that apigenin may inhibit tumor growth through the ER-mediated PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway and that it can also attenuate the effects of histamine on tumors.

The role of H1 antihistamines in contralateral breast cancer: a Danish nationwide cohort study

Background

Preclinical studies have shown both pro- and antineoplastic effects of antihistamines. Here, we evaluated the effect of H1 antihistamines on contralateral breast cancer (CBC) risk, and whether cationic amphiphilic (CAD) antihistamines could increase the sensitivity to chemotherapy.

Methods

From the Danish Breast Cancer Group clinical database, we identified all women aged ≥20 years with a first-time diagnosis of breast cancer during 1996–2012. Information on drug use, CBC and potential confounding factors was retrieved from nationwide registries. Using Cox proportional hazard regression models, we calculated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for CBC associated with H1-antihistamine use.

Results

We identified 52,723 patients with breast cancer with a total of 310,583 person-years of follow-up. Among them, 1444 patients developed a new primary tumour in the contralateral breast. Post-diagnosis use of H1 antihistamines (≥2 prescriptions) was not strongly associated with CBC risk (HR 1.08, 95% CI: 0.90–1.31) compared with non-use (<2 prescriptions). Use of CAD antihistamines among patients receiving chemotherapy was not associated with a decrease in CBC risk.

Conclusions

Taken together, our findings do not suggest any association of H1-antihistamine use with CBC development.

Histamine receptors and cancer pharmacology: an update

In the present review, we will discuss the recent advances in the understanding of the role of histamine and histamine receptors in cancer biology. The controversial role of the histaminergic system in different neoplasias including gastric, colorectal, oesophageal, oral, pancreatic, liver, lung, skin, blood and breast cancers will be reviewed. The expression of histamine receptor subtypes, with special emphasis on the histamine H4 receptor, in different cell lines and human tumours, the signal transduction pathways and the associated biological responses as well as the in vivo treatment of experimental tumours with pharmacological ligands will be described. The presented evidence demonstrates that histamine regulates cancer-associated biological processes during cancer development in multiple cell types, including neoplastic cells and cells in the tumour micro-environment. The outcome will depend on tumour cell type, the level of expression of histamine receptors, signal transduction associated with these receptors, tumour micro-environment and histamine metabolism, reinforcing the complexity of cancer disease. Findings show the pivotal role of H4 receptors in the development and progression of many types of cancers, and considering its immunomodulatory properties, the H4 receptor appears to be the most promising molecular therapeutic target for cancer treatment within the histamine receptor family. Furthermore, the H4 receptor is differentially expressed in tumours compared with normal tissues, and in most cancer types in which data are available, H4 receptor expression is associated with clinicopathological characteristics, suggesting that H4 receptors might represent a novel cancer biomarker. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed section on New Uses for 21st Century. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v177.3/issuetoc.

Classification of clear cell renal cell carcinoma based on PKM alternative splicing

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) accounts for 70-80% of kidney cancer diagnoses and displays high molecular and histologic heterogeneity. Hence, it is necessary to reveal the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in progression of ccRCC to better stratify the patients and design effective treatment strategies. Here, we analyzed the survival outcome of ccRCC patients as a consequence of the differential expression of four transcript isoforms of the pyruvate kinase muscle type (PKM). We first extracted a classification biomarker consisting of eight gene pairs whose within-sample relative expression orderings (REOs) could be used to robustly classify the patients into two groups with distinct molecular characteristics and survival outcomes. Next, we validated our findings in a validation cohort and an independent Japanese ccRCC cohort. We finally performed drug repositioning analysis based on transcriptomic expression profiles of drug-perturbed cancer cell lines and proposed that paracetamol, nizatidine, dimethadione and conessine can be repurposed to treat the patients in one of the subtype of ccRCC whereas chenodeoxycholic acid, fenoterol and hexylcaine can be repurposed to treat the patients in the other subtype.

Mast Cells May Differentially Regulate Growth of Lymphoid Neoplasms by Opposite Modulation of Histamine Receptors

Cancer microenvironment is complex and consists of various immune cells. There is evidence for mast cell (MC) infiltration of tumors, but their role thereof is poorly understood. In this study, we explored the effects of mast cell and their mediators on the growth of hematological cancer cells. The affect is demonstrated using RBL-2H3 MCs, and YAC-1, EL4 and L1210 as hematological cancer cell lines. Direct contact with MCs or stimulation by their mediators caused growth inhibition of YAC-1 cells, growth enhancement of EL4 cells and no change in growth of L1210 cells. This effect was confirmed by cancer cell recovery, cell viability, mitochondrial health, and cell cycle analysis. MCs showed mediator release in direct contact with tumor cells. MC mediators' treatment to YAC-1 and EL4 yielded exactly opposite modulations of survival markers, Survivin and COX-2 and apoptosis markers, Caspase-3, Bcl-2, in the two cell lines. Histamine being an important MC mediator, effect of histamine on cell recovery, survival markers and expression of various histamine receptors and their modulation in cancer cells was studied. Again, YAC-1 and EL4 cells showed contrary histamine receptor expression modulation in response to MC mediators. Histamine receptor antagonist co-treatment with MC mediators to the cancer cells suggested a major involvement of H2 and H4 receptor in growth inhibition in YAC-1 cells, and contribution of H1, H2, and H4 receptors in cell growth enhancement in EL4 cells. L1210 showed changes in the histamine receptors' expression but no effect on treatment with receptor antagonists. It can be concluded that anti-cancerous action of MCs or their mediators may include direct growth inhibition, but their role may differ depending on the tumor.

LINC01355 suppresses breast cancer growth through FOXO3-mediated transcriptional repression of CCND1

Previously, several protein-coding tumor suppressors localized at 1p36 have been reported. In the present work, we focus on functional long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) embedded in this locus. Small interfering RNA was used to identify lncRNA candidates with growth-suppressive activities in breast cancer. The mechanism involved was also explored. LINC01355 were downregulated in breast cancer cells relative to non-malignant breast epithelial cells. Overexpression of LINC01355 significantly inhibited proliferation, colony formation, and tumorigenesis of breast cancer cells. LINC01355 arrested breast cancer cells at the G0/G1 phase by repressing CCND1. Moreover, LINC01355 interacted with and stabilized FOXO3 protein, leading to transcriptional repression of CCND1. Importantly, LINC01355-mediated suppression of breast cancer growth was reversed by knockdown of FOXO3 or overexpression of CCND1. Clinically, LINC01355 was downregulated in breast cancer specimens and correlated with more aggressive features. There was a negative correlation between LINC01355 and CCND1 expression in breast cancer samples. LINC01355 acts as a tumor suppressor in breast cancer, which is ascribed to enhancement of FOXO3-mediated transcriptional repression of CCND1. Re-expression of LINC01355 may provide a potential therapeutic strategy to block breast cancer growth and progression.