am-404 and Neuroblastoma

N-Arachidonoylphenolamine (AM404), a paracetamol lipid metabolite, is a modulator of the endocannabinoid system endowed with pleiotropic activities. AM404 is a dual agonist of the Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) and the Cannabinoid Receptor type 1 (CB₁) and inhibits anandamide (AEA) transport and degradation. In addition, it has been shown that AM404 also exerts biological activities through TRPV1- and CB₁ -independent pathways. In the present study we have investigated the effect of AM404 in the NFAT and NF-κB signaling pathways in SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells. AM404 inhibited NFAT transcriptional activity through a CB₁- and TRPV1-independent mechanism. Moreover, AM404 inhibited both the expression of COX-2 at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels and the synthesis of PGE₂. AM404 also inhibited NF-κB activation induced by PMA/Ionomycin in SK-N-SH cells by targeting IKKβ phosphorylation and activation. We found that Cot/Tlp-2 induced NFAT and COX-2 transcriptional activities were inhibited by AM404. NFAT inhibition paralleled with the ability of AM404 to inhibit MMP-1, -3 and -7 expression, cell migration and invasion in a cell-type specific dependent manner. Taken together, these data reveal that paracetamol, the precursor of AM404, can be explored not only as an antipyretic and painkiller drug but also as a co-adjuvant therapy in inflammatory and cancer diseases.

Topics: Animals; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; Arachidonic Acids; Cell Line; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Movement; Cell Survival; Cyclooxygenase 2; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Genes, Reporter; Humans; Mice; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Neoplasm Proteins; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Neuroblastoma; Neurons; NF-kappa B; NFATC Transcription Factors; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Recombinant Fusion Proteins; Signal Transduction