Tumor Cell Cytolysis Mediated by Valorphin, an Opioid-Like Fragment of Hemoglobin β-Chain

• Published in: Peptides (New York, N.Y. : 1980) Vol. 18; no. 1; pp. 79 - 85
• Main Authors: Blishchenko, Elena Yu, Mernenko, Olga A, Mirkina, Irina I, Satpaev, Daulet K, Ivanov, Vadim S, Tchikin, Leonid D, Ostrovsky, Andrey G, Karelin, Andrey A, Ivanov, Vadim T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 1997
• Subjects: Adamantane - analogs & derivatives; Adamantane - antagonists & inhibitors; Adamantane - pharmacology; Analgesics, Opioid - pharmacology; Animals; Apoptosis; Cell Death - drug effects; Cytotoxicity; DNA Damage - drug effects; Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; Enkephalin, Methionine - pharmacology; Hemoglobins - chemistry; Hemorphins; Humans; Mice; Naloxone; Naloxone - pharmacology; Necrosis; Receptors, Opioid - metabolism; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Valorphin; Cytotoxicity; Naloxone; Valorphin; Hemorphins; Necrosis
• ISSN: 0196-9781; 1873-5169
• DOI: 10.1016/S0196-9781(96)00248-3

Blishchenko, E. Yu., O. A. Mernenko, I. I. Mirkina, D. K. Satpaev, V. S. Ivanov, L. D. Tchikin, A. G. Ostrovsky, A. A. Karelin and V. T. Ivanov. Tumor cell cytolysis mediated by valorphin, an opioid-like fragment of hemoglobin β-chain. Peptides 18(1) 79–85, 1997.—Valorphin, an endogenous opioid-like hemoglobin fragment, is cytotoxic for L929 and K562 tumor cells in 10 −7–10 −13 M concentration range. Because cytolytic effects induced by valorphin in K562 cells are inhibited by naloxone, opioid receptors should be involved in induction of valorphin-mediated tumor cell death. Three distinct cytolytic processes, differing in the onset time and the development time, take place with K562 cells within 10–18 h of incubation with valorphin. All three processes are not associated with apoptotic mechanism of cell death.