Endocrine Abstracts

Regulatory peptides are known to have a role in tumour growth. Local peptide concentrations will be affected by their proteolytic release from precursors, together with the rate of their proteolytic degradation. In this study three inhibitors of proteolysis were examined, Captopril, an ACE inhibitor, Thiorphan an inhibitor of Neutral Endopeptidase and Phosphoramidon which inhibits both Neutral Endopeptidase and also Endothelin Converting Enzyme (ECE). The effect of these inhib...

Combination chemotherapy for breast cancer offers the potential for improving drug efficacy through enhancement of cancer cell killing. Theoretically, the mechanistic basis underlying this approach may depend on multiple targets and/or amplification/interaction of putative proapoptotic signals. The synthetic retinoid N-(4-hydroxyphenyl) retinamide (4HPR) has proved effective as a chemopreventative and therapeutic agent in breast cancer, however, the mechanisms mediating this a...

Fenretinide (4-hydroxyphenyl retinamide, 4-HPR) is a synthetic retinoid that exhibits anti-neoplastic properties and clinical trials indicate a potential chemopreventative action of 4HPR in the development of ovarian cancer. Although the mechanism of 4HPR action remains largely unknown, ceramide has been recently proposed as a cellular signal.The aim of the present study is to investigate in vitro the action of 4HPR and the retinoic acid receptor ...

The synthetic retinoid N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide (4HPR) has manifold actions which may be involved in its chemopreventive effects on breast cancer growth and progression. Ceramide is a sphingolipid involved in the mammalian stress response and is implicated in the induction of apoptosis. Its role in the mechanism of 4HPR action has not been fully explored. Here we attempt to elucidate the relationship between 4HPR, ceramide production and cell viability. Survival of viable...