Nasal HPpSIS administration enhances NGF and tumor suppressor protein, p73 in human brain cancer tissues: preliminary data

L. Aloe, M.L. Rocco, E. Stigliano, F. Angelini, M. Iacoangeli, V. Frari, F. Salvinelli

Institute of Cellular Biology and Neurobiology, National Research Council, Rome, Italy. f.salvinelli@gmail.com

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• Pharmacology

OBJECTIVE: Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) is a neurotrophic factor known to play a critical role in growth, survival, differentiation and neuroprotection of peripheral sensory and sympathetic neurons, as well as brain neurons. We have recently reported that nasal administration of high-pressure isotonic physiological saline solution (HPpSIS) enhances the level of NGF and the expression of NGF receptors in neurons of the olfactory bulbs and forebrain cholinergic neurons of laboratory animals. In the present study, we sought to determine whether the same treatment affects the levels of NGF within the brain tumor tissue.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study was conducted on eight adult patients, 4 males and 4 females with malignant anterior cranial fossa tumor. Before surgery, four subjects, two males and two females received nasal administration of HPpSIS for ten consecutive days.

RESULTS: The levels of NGF in surgical removed peripheral tumor brain samples of patients treated with nasal HPpSIS administration are more elevated compared to the levels of NGF in peripheral brain tissues of HPpSIS untreated patients.

CONCLUSIONS: We observed that nasal administration of HPpSIS enhances not only the basal brain NGF levels and the expression of NGF receptors but also the tumor suppressor protein p73. The possible functional significance of these observations will be described and discussed.

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