Nociceptin/Orphanin FQ receptor expression in primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells is not regulated by exposure to breast cancer cell media or angiogenic stimuli

BACKGROUND: Opioid receptors are naloxone-sensitive (MOP [mu: μ], DOP [delta: δ], and KOP [kappa: κ]) and naloxone-insensitive Nociceptin/Orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) peptide receptor (NOP). Clinically, most opioid analgesics target MOP. Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels and involves endothelial cell activation, proliferation, and migration. The effect of opioids on this process is controversial with no data for NOP receptor ligands. METHODS: We used patient-derived human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) treated with media from the Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) breast cancer cells or vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF; 10 ng ml(−1)) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF; 10 ng ml(−1)) as angiogenic stimuli. We have measured (i) NOP/MOP messenger RNA, (ii) receptor protein using N/OFQ(ATTO594) and Dermorphin(ATTO488) as fluorescent probes for NOP and MOP, and (iii) NOP/MOP function in a wound healing assay (crude measure of migration that occurs during angiogenesis). RESULTS: HUVEC lines from 32 patients were used. Using all 32 lines, mRNA for NOP but not MOP was detected. This was unaffected by media from MCF-7 cells or VEGF/FGF. There was no binding of either N/OFQ(ATTO594)(NOP) or Dermorphin(ATTO488)(MOP) in the absence or presence of angiogenic stimuli (six lines tested). In the absence of MOP mRNA, this was expected. Whilst MCF-7 conditioned medium (not VEGF/FGF) reduced wound healing per se (14 lines tested), there was no effect of N/OFQ (NOP ligand) or morphine (MOP ligand). CONCLUSIONS: Media from MCF-7 breast cancer cells or VEGF/FGF as angiogenic stimuli did not influence NOP translation into receptor protein. MOP was absent. In the absence of constitutive or inducible MOP/NOP, there was no effect on wound healing as a measure of angiogenesis.