Cholecystokinin analog, JMV-180, stimulates growth of human pancreatic cancer

Role of gastrointestinal hormones in the proliferation of normal and neoplastic tissues

Gastrointestinal (GI) hormones are chemical messengers that regulate the physiological functions of the intestine and pancreas, including secretion, motility, absorption, and digestion. In addition to these well-defined physiological effects, GI hormones can stimulate proliferation of the nonneoplastic intestinal mucosa and pancreas. Furthermore, in an analogous fashion to breast and prostate cancer, certain GI cancers possess receptors for GI hormones; growth can be altered by administration of these hormones or by blocking their respective receptors. The GI hormones that affect proliferation, either stimulatory or inhibitory, include gastrin, cholecystokinin, gastrin-releasing peptide, neurotensin, peptide YY, glucagon-like peptide-2, and somatostatin. The effects of these peptides on normal and neoplastic GI tissues will be described. Also, future perspectives and potential therapeutic implications will be discussed.

Cholecystokinin receptor antagonist, loxiglumide, inhibits invasiveness of human pancreatic cancer cell lines

Recently, cholecystokinin has been reported to be important in regulating the growth of pancreatic cancer. We investigated the effect of loxiglumide (LXG), a cholecystokinin receptor antagonist, on the invasiveness of two human pancreatic cancer cell lines. Cells were treated with LXG for 24 h, and examined in the invasion assay. The expression and activity of MMP-9 in supernatants from cancer cells were analyzed by Western blotting and zymogram. Interestingly, the invasiveness of cancer cells and expression of MMP-9 were decreased by LXG in a dose-dependent manner. LXG may be a useful therapeutic agent against pancreatic cancer.