Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24861561›Full record

ArticleBritish journal of anaesthesia2014

Morphine stimulates cancer progression and mast cell activation and impairs survival in transgenic mice with breast cancer.

J Nguyen, K Luk, D Vang, W Soto, L Vincent, S Robiner, R Saavedra, Y Li, P Gupta, K Gupta

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in British journal of anaesthesia, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 101 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
101citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
8.5field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

101 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 183 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Trial
  5. Trial
  6. Treatment with methylnaltrexone is associated with increased survival in patients with advanced cancer.Annals of oncology : official journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology · 2016
    Trial
  7. Trial
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Considerations for Care of the Cancer Patient.International anesthesiology clinics · 2025
    Article
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Anesthesia and cancer recurrence: a narrative review.Anesthesia and pain medicine · 2024
    Review
  17. Review
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article

41 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

J NguyenDivision of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, Department of Medicine, Vascular Biology Center, University of Minnesota, Mayo Mail Code 480, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
K LukDivision of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, Department of Medicine, Vascular Biology Center, University of Minnesota, Mayo Mail Code 480, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
D VangDivision of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, Department of Medicine, Vascular Biology Center, University of Minnesota, Mayo Mail Code 480, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
W SotoDivision of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, Department of Medicine, Vascular Biology Center, University of Minnesota, Mayo Mail Code 480, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
L VincentDivision of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, Department of Medicine, Vascular Biology Center, University of Minnesota, Mayo Mail Code 480, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
S RobinerDivision of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, Department of Medicine, Vascular Biology Center, University of Minnesota, Mayo Mail Code 480, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
R SaavedraDivision of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, Department of Medicine, Vascular Biology Center, University of Minnesota, Mayo Mail Code 480, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
Y LiDivision of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, Department of Medicine, Vascular Biology Center, University of Minnesota, Mayo Mail Code 480, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
P GuptaDivision of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, Department of Medicine, Vascular Biology Center, University of Minnesota, Mayo Mail Code 480, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA Hematology/Oncology Section 111E, Minneapolis VA Healthcare System, One Veterans Drive, Minneapolis, MN 55417, USA.
K GuptaDivision of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, Department of Medicine, Vascular Biology Center, University of Minnesota, Mayo Mail Code 480, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA gupta014@umn.edu.
University of Minnesota · USMinneapolis VA Health Care System · US

Funding

Cannabinoid-based therapy and approaches to quantify pain in sickle cell diseaseU01HL117664 · NHLBI · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · PI GUPTA, KALPNA · 2013 to 2018
$9.6M
Opioid Activity in Endothelium in Sickle Cell Disease R01HL068802 · NHLBI · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA TWIN CITIES · PI GUPTA, KALPNA · 2002 to 2012
$2.6M
Characteristics and mechanisms of pain in sickle cell diseaseR01HL103733 · NHLBI · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · PI GUPTA, KALPNA, SIMONE, DONALD · 2010 to 2014
$1.9M
Opioid and Breast Cancer Growth and MetastasisR01CA109582 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA TWIN CITIES · PI GUPTA, KALPNA · 2005 to 2009
$1.1M
NCI NIH HHS R01 CA109582NCI NIH HHS R01 S CA109582NHLBI NIH HHS HL68802NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL068802NHLBI NIH HHS R01 HL103733NHLBI NIH HHS U01 HL117664NHLBI NIH HHS U01 HL117664-01PHS HHS 103773
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMorphine stimulates angiogenesis and cancer progression in mice. We investigated whether morphine influences tumour onset, development, and animal model survival, and whether µ-opioid receptor (MOR), lymphangiogenesis, mast cell activation, and substance P (SP) are associated with the tumour-promoting effects of morphine.

methodsTransgenic mice with a rat C3(1) simian virus 40 large tumour antigen fusion gene which demonstrate the developmental spectrum of human infiltrating ductal breast carcinoma were used. Mice were treated at different ages with clinically relevant doses of morphine or phosphate-buffered saline to determine the effect on tumour development and progression, and on mouse survival. Tumours were analysed for MOR, angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis, SP, and mast cell activation by immunofluorescent- or laser scanning confocal-microscopy. Cytokine and SP levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

resultsMorphine did not influence tumour development when given before the onset of tumour appearance, but significantly promoted progression of established tumours, and reduced survival. MOR-immunoreactivity (ir) was observed in larger but not in smaller tumours. Morphine treatment resulted in increased tumour angiogenesis, peri-tumoural lymphangiogenesis, mast cell activation, and higher levels of cytokines and SP in tumours. SP-ir co-localized with mast cells and elsewhere in the tumours.

conclusionsMorphine does not affect the onset of tumour development, but it promotes growth of existing tumours, and reduces overall survival in mice. MOR may be associated with morphine-induced cancer progression, resulting in shorter survival. Mast cell activation by morphine may contribute to increased cytokine and SP levels, leading to cancer progression and refractory pain.

Indexed as

Analgesics, OpioidAnimalsCytokinesDisease ProgressionFemaleKaplan-Meier EstimateLymphangiogenesisMammary Neoplasms, ExperimentalMast CellsMiceMice, TransgenicMorphineNeovascularization, PathologicReceptors, Opioid, muSubstance PAnalgesics, OpioidCytokinesMorphineReceptors, Opioid, muSubstance Panalgesics, opioid, morphineangiogenesis, lymphangiogenesiscancermast cellsμ-opioid receptor

Identifiers

PMID24861561
PMCPMC4111281
OpenAlexW2137443266

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.