Influences of Morphine on Cannabinoid Receptor 1, 2 Expression in Breast Cancer Cell Lines

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the regulatory effect of morphine on the expression of the cannabinoid receptors in the cancer progression. The application of morphine to relieve pain in the patients with cancer may facilitate identifying the risk of tumor growth and metastasis. Methods: The MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells were treated with different concentrations (1.6, 0.16, 0.016, and 0.0016 μM) of morphine for 24 and 48 hours. The qPCR was performed to evaluate the effect of morphine treatment on the cannabinoid receptors type 1 and 2 gene expression. Results: Our study results showed that the expression of cannabinoid receptors 1 (CB1) and 2 (CB2) was regulated by morphine in a dose-dependent manner. We observed in the expression of CB1 and CB2 in the cell lines in which the treated dose was 1.6 μM. However, administration of other doses of morphine reduced the expression of the cannabinoid receptors. Conclusion: In general, the results of this research show that different doses of morphine have different effects on the expression of cannabinoid receptors, and the general purpose of this research is to gain experience to find the best dose of morphine in treatment. Also, to find out which dose is more useful for a cancerous patient. © 2023 The Author(s).