Open AccessNitric Oxide Synthase Activity in Human Lung Cancer
Author(s) -
Fujimoto Hisao,
Ando Yukio,
Yamashita Taro,
Terazaki Hisayasu,
Tanaka Yoshiya,
Sasaki Jiichiro,
Matsumoto Mitsuhiro,
Suga Moritaka,
Ando Masayuki
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
japanese journal of cancer research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.035
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1349-7006
pISSN - 0910-5050
DOI - 10.1111/j.1349-7006.1997.tb00348.x
Subject(s) - adenocarcinoma , adenosquamous carcinoma , lung cancer , nitric oxide synthase , pathology , carcinoma , immunohistochemistry , lung , metastasis , large cell , cancer , medicine , nitric oxide , respiratory disease , biology
Nitric oxide synthases (NOS) exist in human tumor cell lines and solid tumor tissues, and it has been suggested that NO may play important roles in growth, progression or metastasis of tumors. We investigated the activity and distribution of NOS in a series of human lung cancer and normal lung tissues. Seventy‐two primary lung cancer samples (44 cases of adenocarcinoma, 18 of squamous cell carcinoma, 4 of large cell carcinoma, 2 of small cell carcinoma, 2 of adenosquamous carcinoma, and 2 of carcinoids) and corresponding normal lung samples were obtained from surgically treated patients. In normal lung tissues, little NOS activity was observed with no correlation between the patients' age and NOS activity. The total NOS activities in lung adenocarcinoma samples were significantly higher than those in other types of lung cancers or normal lung samples (P<0.05), Analysis by tumor grade of the adenocarcinoma samples revealed no significant difference of NOS activity between grades. TNM classification showed that, although T stage did not correlate with NOS activity, cancer tissues from patients with N2 disease tended to have lower activity than those from patients with NO or Nl disease. Immunohistochemical studies revealed that the intensity of NOS immunoreactivity correlated with NOS activity. These results suggest that NO may play an important role in the metabolism and behavior of lung cancers, especially adenocarcinoma.