The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of norepinephrine on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor type C (VEGF-C) in oral squamous carcinomas cell lines that contained beta-adrenergic receptors. Cell lines (SCC-9 and SCC-25) were stimulated with different concentrations of norepinephrine (0.1, 1 and 10 mM) and 1 μM of propranolol, and analyzed after 1, 6 and 24 h. Gene and protein expressions of VEGF-C were evaluated, respectively, by real time PCR and by ELISA. Data from experiments were subjected to analysis of variance, considering significant p ≤ 0.05. Dosage protein in supernatant cultures of malignant cells did not reflect the gene expression of VEGF-C. Only in the SCC-25 cell line was detected a significant inhibition of VEGF-C production by neoplastic cells, 24 h after stimulation with 10 μM norepinephrine ( p < 0.001). These results suggest that VEGF-C expression in oral squamous carcinomas cell lines seems not to be mediated by norepinephrine through the beta adrenergic receptor pathway.

Conflict of interest: None declared.