Endothelial progenitor cells may participate in stress-induced tumour angiogenesis
Qijun Jiang1, Zhigang Gong, Shifang Ding
1Department of Cardiology, Wuhan General Hospital of Guangzhou Military, 627 Wuluo Road, Wuhan 430070, China.
Abstract:
Epidemiological and animal studies have suggested that chronic stress promotes tumourigenesis by promoting tumour angiogenesis. However, underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are a group of bone marrow-derived cells that have an important function in neovascularisation of various tumour growths. In this study, chronic stress was hypothesised to increase tumour angiogenesis via sympathetic neurotransmitter-induced activation of EPCs through α1 adrenoreceptor (AR)-extracellular regulated protein kinases and β2 AR-endothelial nitric oxide synthase signal pathways. This hypothesis should be tested in several clinical and animal studies. Results may have implications on the development of new anti-tumour drugs.
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