Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2021.
World J Clin Oncol. Jun 24, 2021; 12(6): 404-428
Published online Jun 24, 2021. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v12.i6.404
Table 1 Summary of the expression of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes (M) in different human cancers
Receptor subtypes
Malignant tissue
M1Skin[142]Breast[128]
Brain[131]Liver[140]
Prostate[136]Esophagus[135]
Cervix uteri[139]Pancreas[147]
M2Lung[134]Esophagus[135]
Brain[143]Bladder[125]
Breast [128]Leukemia[145]
M3Lung [124]Breast[148]
Colon[133]Esophagus[135]
Skin[142]Liver[139]
Prostate[138]Stomach[132]
Cervix uteri[139]Leukemia[145]
Head and neck[146]
M4Brain[131]Breast[128]
Prostate[137]Esophagus[135]
Cervix uteri[139]Oral cavity[141]
M5Skin[130]Breast[128]
Cervix uteri[139]Esophagus[135]
Table 2 Effect of metronomic chemotherapy targeting muscarinic acetylcholine receptors on breast tumors
Murine breast malignant cells
Murine breast not malignant cells
Paclitaxel (10-11 mol/L) + Carbachol (10-9 mol/L)[126]
LM2: 68.2 ± 5.1bNMuMG: 6.8 ± 6.6
LM3: 64.6 ± 6.5b
Human breast malignant cellsHuman breast not malignant cells
Paclitaxel (10-9 mol/L) + Carbachol (10-11 mol/L)[127]
MCF-7: 45.6 ± 5.8aMCF-10A: 1.9 ± 0.3
Paclitaxel (10-9 mol/L) + Carbachol (10-10 mol/L)[128]
MDA-MB468: 33.4 ± 2.5cMCF-10A: 2.9 ± 3.1
Paclitaxel (10-9 mol/L) + Arecaidine propargyl ester (10-7 mol/L)[128]
MDA-MB468: 26.9 ± 3.6cMCF-10A: 3.3 ± 6.2
Paclitaxel (10-8 mol/L) + Carbachol (10-11 mol/L)[128]
MDA-MB231: 36.8 ± 6.2cMCF-10A: 3.1 ± 6.2
Doxorubicin (10-8 mol/L) + Carbachol (10-11 mol/L)[128]
MDA-MB231: 35.3 ± 0.8cMCF-10A: 6.1 ± 3.1
Paclitaxel (10-8 mol/L) + Arecaidine propargyl ester (10-5 mol/L)[128]
MDA-MB231: 35.8 ± 3.1cMCF-10A: 8.2 ± 6.5
Doxorubicin (10-8 mol/L) + Arecaidine propargyl ester (10-5 mol/L)[128]
MDA-MB231: 33.3 ± 2.1cMCF-10A: 7.8 ± 6.8
Paclitaxel (10-6 mol/L)[128]
MDA-MB231: 38.0 ± 6.1cMCF-10A: 33.3 ± 1.5c
Doxorubicin (10-6 mol/L)[128]
MDA-MB231: 41.1 ± 2.3cMCF-10A: 45.7 ± 1.8c