Mecamylamine affects cell proliferation and adhesion of lung cancer in vitro

Mecamylamine, pharmacologically, has been well characterized as a nonselective and noncompetitive antagonist of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Because mecamylamine easily crosses the blood - brain barrier at relatively low doses, it has been used by several research groups over the past two decades investigating the role of central nAChRs in the etiology and treatment of various neuropsychiatric disorders. Recently, nAChRs have also been found on non-neuronal cells such as bronchial epithelium and keratinocytes, so it is necessary to investigate the antitumor activity of mecamylamine in lung cancer. In the present study, we study the effects of mecamylamine on cell proliferation and adhesion of lung cancer in vitro. The results showed that cell proliferation of lung cancer was inhibited by mecamylamine treatment in dose dependent and time dependent manners and expression of cell adhesion molecule was changed after mecamylamine treatment. These results indicate that nAChRs played important roles in cell proliferation as well as cell adhesion of lung cancer and action of mecamylamine may be effective as an augmentation pharmacotherapy for lung cancer.