Involvement of the neurotensin receptor subtype NTR3 in the growth effect of neurotensin on cancer cell lines

The expression of the 3 currently known neurotensin receptors was studied i n human cancer cells of prostatic, colonic or pancreatic origin by means of RT-PCR analysis and binding experiments. All the cells selected for this w ork have been shown to exhibit a growth response to neurotensin, We found t hat the 7 transmembrane domain, levocabastine insensitive receptor (NTR I) is expressed in most but not all of the cells studied whereas the 7 transme mbrane domain, levocabastine sensitive receptor (NTR2) is present in none o f these cells. The 100 kDa-type I neurotensin receptor (NTR3) is expressed in all the cells assayed. Moreover, we demonstrated that neurotensin can st imulate the growth of CHO cells stably transfected with the NTR3. Taken tog ether, our results strongly suggest that the NTR3 subtype could be involved in the growth response of human cancer cells to neurotensin, (C) 2001 Wile y-Liss, Inc.