Central role of ß-catenin in anticancer effects of cardiac hormones.

BACKGROUND: ß-Catenin causes malignant growth of colonic, pancreatic and renal cancer. Four cardiac hormones, namely atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), vessel dilator, long-acting natriuretic peptide (LANP) and kaliuretic peptide eliminate up to 80% of human pancreatic carcinomas growing in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four cardiac hormones were evaluated for their ability to reduce the expression of human ß-catenin, measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in human colorectal, pancreatic and renal cancer cells. RESULTS: Vessel dilator, LANP, kaliuretic peptide, and ANP, over a concentration range of 100 pM to 10 µM, maximally reduced expression of ß-catenin in human colorectal cancer cells by 78%, 71%, 69%, and 83%, respectively. Vessel dilator, LANP, kaliuretic peptide, and ANP reduced ß-catenin expression in human pancreatic cancer cells by 76%, 66%, 72%, and 88%, and by 64%, 54%, 58% and 73%, in human renal cancer cells, respectively. CONCLUSION: Part of the anticancer action of these four cardiac hormones is a potent inhibition of ß-catenin.