一氧化氮介导的肿瘤治疗研究进展

Research Advances on Tumor Therapy via Nitric Oxide

一氧化氮(nitricoxide,NO)是一种半衰期短的多效分子,参与机体内的多种生理和病理反应。它作为重要的生物介质在肿瘤发生、发展和死亡中的作用已成为肿瘤研究及治疗的热点。研究发现NO具有促瘤或抗瘤的作用,这种双重作用取决于NO生成的浓度、时间和效应部位。持续低浓度的NO可以促进肿瘤的生长;高浓度NO则通过产生细胞毒性,诱导细胞凋亡而抗瘤。NO的这种浓度依赖性机制是目前NO介导的肿瘤治疗的理论基础,这些治疗方法可分为以下几类:包括化疗药物、中药、一氧化氮合酶的诱导剂和抑制剂在内的药物治疗;放疗和光动力学治疗;基因水平治疗等。本文从NO生成的浓度、时间和效应部位三个方面阐述NO和肿瘤的关系及其作用机制,并综述NO介导的各种肿瘤治疗方法的研究进展。

Nitric oxide (NO) is a short- lived pleiotropic molecule invo lv ed in many physiological and pathological processes in the organism. As an impor tant biologic mediator, nitric oxide has been focused in tumor study and therapy for its function in the process of tumor genesis, progression,and death. It is documented that nitric oxide plays a dual role:induction or suppression of tumor igenesis, which is dependent on different conditions, such as the concentration, time,and position of NO products. Tumor growth can be promoted by continuous lo w NO concentration, while cytotoxicity and apoptosis to tumor cells can be induc ed by quite high NO concentration. Currently, the concentration- dependent prin ciple is the theoretical basis of tumor therapy mediated by NO. These tumor ther apies can be classified into several types: firstly, drug treatments including c hemotherapy, nitric oxide synthase inducer and inhibitor, together with related research from Chinese traditional medicine; secondly, radiotherapy and photodyna mic therapy; thirdly, genic level therapy; and so on. Thus, the paper states the relationship and mechanism between NO and tumor, and summarizes research advanc es on tumor therapy via nitric oxide.