Histochemistry and Cell Biology

, Volume 126, Issue 2, pp 189–197 | Cite as

The effect of the enkephalin DADLE on transcription does not depend on opioid receptors

  • Beatrice Baldelli
  • Lorella Vecchio
  • Maria Grazia Bottone
  • Giovanni Muzzonigro
  • Marco Biggiogera
  • Manuela Malatesta
Original paper
First Online:
Accepted:

Abstract

[D-Ala2,D-Leu5] enkephalin (DADLE) is a synthetic peptide capable of inducing a hibernation-like state in mammals in vivo and in cultured cells in vitro. The effects of DADLE seem to be due to its binding to opioid receptors; however, it inhibits the growth of LNCaP cells, devoid of opioid receptors. We have investigated the effects of DADLE on this cell line using transmission electron microscopy, immunocytochemistry and cytometry, in order to elucidate the general mechanism(s) by which this enkephalin affects cell metabolism. We demonstrated that, similar to cell lines provided with opioid receptors, in LNCaP cells DADLE induces structural modifications of cytoplasmic and nuclear constituents, as well as a decrease in transcription and proliferation. However, DADLE does not provoke an increase in apoptotic or necrotic cell fraction, and, after removing the enkephalin from the culture medium, all effects disappear. We also demonstrated that DADLE molecules enter the cytoplasm and the nucleus of LNCaP cells, mostly binding to perichromatin fibrils and dense fibrillar component, where transcription and early splicing of pre-mRNAs and pre-rRNAs occur. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that the effect of DADLE on transcription and on cultured cells does not depend on opioid receptors. DADLE can, therefore, be envisaged as an extremely promising molecule to be used for inducing a reversible hypometabolic state in various cultured cells, without provoking cell damage or death.

Keywords

DADLE Hypometabolic state Transcription Cell nucleus Electron microscopy 
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Notes

Acknowledgements

Thanks are due to Mrs. Paola Veneroni for the excellent technical assistance. Cytometric measurements were taken at the Centro Grandi Strumenti of the University of Pavia. B.B. is a PhD student in receipt of a fellowship from the Dottorato di ricerca in Oncologia Urologica (University Politecnica delle Marche).

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 2006

Authors and Affiliations

  • Beatrice Baldelli
    • 1
  • Lorella Vecchio
    • 2
  • Maria Grazia Bottone
    • 2
    • 3
  • Giovanni Muzzonigro
    • 4
  • Marco Biggiogera
    • 2
    • 3
  • Manuela Malatesta
    • 1
  1. 1.Istituto di Istologia e Analisi di Laboratorio University of Urbino “Carlo Bo”UrbinoItaly
  2. 2.Laboratorio di Biologia Cellulare e Neurobiologia, Dipartimento di Biologia AnimaleUniversità di Pavia PaviaItaly
  3. 3.Istituto di Genetica Molecolare del CNR (Sezione di Istochimica e Citometria)Università di Pavia PaviaItaly
  4. 4.Istituto di Scienze Materno Infantili, Cattedra di Clinica UrologicaUniversity Politecnica delle MarcheAnconaItaly

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