Four cardiac hormones cause death of human cancer cells but not of healthy cells.

Background: Four cardiac hormones, namely, vessel dilator, long-acting natriuretic peptide, atrial natriuretic peptide and kaliuretic peptide, have anticancer effects but whether they cause cell death of human cancer cells or normal cells is unknown.

Materials And Methods: These cardiac hormones were examined for their ability to cause cell death quantified by measurement of nuclear matrix proteins 41/7 which is a function of the number of dead or dying cells.

Results: Each of these cardiac hormones caused cell death in up to 36% (p < 0.0001) of the pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells and up to 28% (p<0.0001) of the prostate cancer cells over a concentration range of 100 pmol/l to 10 μmol/l. There was no cell death of normal human prostate, kidney, or lung cells at the above concentrations.

Conclusion: Four cardiac hormones cause death of pancreatic and prostate cancer cells but not of normal prostate, lung, or kidney cells.