Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P01350 (gastrin)
 9,683 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Recent studies have suggested that cholecystokinin (CCK) receptors may play a role in the development and growth of pancreatic cancers. We detected the expression of mRNA encoding CCK-A and CCK-B receptors in eight human pancreatic tumour cell lines using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), but not by RNase protection assays. The K-ras gene, which can be activated by G-coupled protein receptors such as CCK receptors, was mutated in codon 12 in five of the cell lines. In addition, Mia PaCa-2 pancreatic cancer cells did not respond to CCK or gastrin in cell proliferation or focal adhesion kinase (FAK) phosphorylation assays. In contrast, mouse NIH3T3 fibroblasts transfected with human CCK-B receptor (NIH3T3CCK-BR) showed increased proliferation and phosphorylation to the peptides. Also, radioligand binding studies indicated that Mia PaCa-2 cells had approximately 12.5-fold less CCK-B receptors than NIH3T3CCK-BR. Our results suggest that in Mia PaCa-2 cells, CCK receptors may not play a crucial role in supporting cell growth.
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PMID:Cholecystokinin receptors in human pancreatic cancer cell lines. 984 31

A case of a pyloric gland type adenoma of the main pancreatic duct in a 69-year-old woman is reported. The tumor led to occlusion and cystic dilatation of the main duct in the pancreatic tail. The surgical resection specimen disclosed a polypoid, bilobed mass attached to the wall of the main pancreatic duct by a thin fibrous stalk. Light-microscopic examination revealed a well-demarcated nodule composed of closely packed tubular glands lined by columnar, mucin-secreting cells with abundant clear cytoplasm and basally oriented nuclei. Focal, mild cytologic atypia was seen. Pyloric metaplasia and focal papillary hyperplasia was present in the adjacent ductal epithelium. Periodic acid-Schiff reactions, with and without diastase predigestion, showed reactivity in the tubular glands, whereas alcian blue (pH 2.5) was negative. Immunohistochemical stains for chromogranin, serotonin, somatostatin, and gastrin failed to detect the respective antigens. Genetic analysis using polymerase chain reaction with mutant enrichment and allele specific oligonucleotide hybridization detected a single mutation at codon 12 of K-ras, which changed the wild-type glycine to arginine. This mutation is commonly found in invasive pancreatic ductal carcinomas. Although tumors with microscopic and immunohistochemical features consistent with pyloric gland adenoma have been described in the gallbladder, to our knowledge, this is the first reported case within the pancreatic ductal system. The finding of a K-ras, codon 12 mutation and the presence of focal dysplasia may denote neoplastic potential in association with this lesion.
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PMID:Pyloric gland adenoma of the main pancreatic duct. 998 51

A 55-year-old man with nonfunctioning islet cell carcinoma showing elevation of serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) levels is described with genetic analyses. Pathological examination of the resected specimen revealed two independent islet cell carcinomas, one in the body and the other in the tail of the pancreas. It was proved immunohistochemically that the tumor cells, particularly those in the tail, were immunoreactive to CEA and CA 19-9 and had the property of duct cells, as well as endocrine cells. Gastrin was demonstrated immunohistochemically in these tumor cells, although its level in serum was not elevated. Genetic analyses of the fresh specimens from the tumor in the body revealed K-ras codon 12 mutation and microsatellite instability. These findings are consistent with its progressive clinical course and strongly suggest that these tumors originate, not from the islet cells of Langerhans, but from protodifferentiated cells, capable of giving rise to all the pancreatic cell types.
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PMID:Nonfunctioning islet cell carcinoma of the pancreas with high serum CEA & CA19-9, K-ras codon 12 mutation, and microsatellite instability. 1077 94

The authors report seven patients with carcinoid tumors of the extrahepatic bile ducts (EHBDs). All patients were women, with an average age at diagnosis of 49.8 years (range, 37-67 yrs). The most common presenting symptom was painless jaundice with or without pruritus. Although one patient had peptic ulcer disease before the onset of obstructive jaundice, none had systemic endocrine manifestations. These neoplasms were most often located in the common bile duct. Grossly, the carcinoid tumors were usually nodular and poorly demarcated, and ranged from 1.1 to 2.7 cm in size. Only one of the neoplasms was polypoid. Microscopically, the tumors had a trabecular or nesting pattern with occasional tubule formation, and were composed of relatively small cells with granular chromatin. All of the neoplasms expressed chromogranin and two expressed synaptophysin. Three expressed serotonin and two of the three were also immunoreactive for pancreatic polypeptide or somatostatin. Two tumors were focally positive for gastrin and one of these two tumors was also positive for serotonin and pancreatic polypeptide. All seven carcinoid tumors showed no immunoreactivity for p53, and assays for p53 loss of heterozygosity analysis were negative in two, suggesting that p53 mutations do not play a role in the pathogenesis of EHBD carcinoids. A mutation in codon 12 of K-ras was found in one carcinoid tumor whereas two of two showed immunoreactivity for Dpc4 protein. In view of the small number of carcinoids studied, the importance of these findings in the pathogenesis of these tumors is unclear. Ultrastructural examination of three of the tumors revealed numerous membrane-bound, round neurosecretory granules. Clinically, these lesions had an indolent course. Even in the presence of lymph node metastases (noted in two patients), all of the patients remained disease free 2 to 11 years (average follow up, 6.6 yrs) after segmental resection or pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple's procedure). Because carcinoid tumors of the EHBD are of low malignant potential, they should be separated from the more common adenocarcinomas in this location.
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PMID:Carcinoid tumors of the extrahepatic bile ducts: a study of seven cases. 1107 51

Mutation of the K-ras gene is thought to be an early and important event in pancreatic carcinogenesis. In order to study the role of this molecular alteration in the transition from the normal to the neoplastic pancreatic cell, bovine pancreatic duct cells were first immortalized by SV40 large T antigen (Ag) complementary (c)DNA transfection and then transfected with a mutated K-ras gene. As did primary duct cells, the immortalized duct cells (more than 100 passages) expressed cytokeratins, carbonic anhydrase type-II, cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), and multidrug resistance (mdr). They grew as a single layer after transplantation under plastic domes and formed three-dimensional structures resembling ducts when grown on Matrigel. Cell growth was stimulated by insulin, epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor (TGF)-alpha, but cells did not respond to gastrin and CCK-8. They did not form colonies in soft agar nor did they form tumors in nude mice. Immortalized cells transfected with mutated K-ras acquired the ability to form tumors after orthotopic injection into the nude mouse pancreas. It is concluded that SV 40 immortalized bovine pancreatic
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PMID:Immortalized bovine pancreatic duct cells become tumorigenic after transfection with mutant k-ras. 1146 90

Pancreatic carcinogenesis is still not well characterized and no specific carcinogen has been isolated in humans. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma acquires genetic abnormalities with successive modification of genes involved in the regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation. The kinetic of genetic alterations in pancreatic cancer is not totally elucidated but experimental pancreatic cancer induced by BOP in Syrian golden hamster attempts to approach this problematic. The activating mutation of the K-ras oncogene on codon 12 seems to occur early in pancreatic carcinogenesis regarding the detection of this mutation in preneoplastic dysplastic lesions and tumors such as intraductal mucinous papillary tumors. Tumor suppressor genes are also inactivated leading commonly to the loss of an inhibitory function on cell proliferation. This inactivation occurs with gene mutation, deletion or methylation on one chromosome arm associated with a loss of heterozygosity: it concerns p53, p16/MTS-1, DPC-4/SMAD4. We recently characterized the somatostatin receptor SST2 gene as a potential suppressor gene for pancreatic carcinoma. The kinetic of these gene alterations is unknown in human. At a late stage of tumor development, an increase of telomerase activity, an over expression of growth factors and/or their receptors (EGF, NGF, gastrin, bombesin), of proangiogenic factors (VEGF, FGF, PDGF), of invasiveness factors (metalloproteinases, E-cadherin, urokinase and tissue plasminogen activators) occur. All these molecular events contribute to the progression and to the metastatic potential of this carcinoma. Recently, the identification of human genome and the large scale analysis of transcriptoma will certainly authorize a better knowledge of pancreatic carcinogenesis as well as the identification of new genetic alterations and new clinical markers.
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PMID:[Molecular pathways of pancreatic carcinogenesis]. 1248 52

Small differences in amplitude, duration, and temporal patterns of change in the concentration of free intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+](i)) can profoundly affect cell physiology, altering programs of gene expression, cell proliferation, secretory activity, and cell survival. We report a novel mechanism for amplitude modulation of [Ca2+](i) that involves mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). We show that epidermal growth factor (EGF) potentiates gastrin-(1-17) (G17)-stimulated Ca2+ release from intracellular Ca2+ stores through a MAPK-dependent pathway. G17 activation of the cholecystokinin/gastrin receptor (CCK(2)R), a G protein-coupled receptor, stimulates release of Ca2+ from inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate-sensitive Ca2+ stores. Pretreating rat intestinal epithelial cells expressing CCK(2)R with EGF increased the level of G17-stimulated Ca2+ release from intracellular stores. The stimulatory effect of EGF on CCK(2)R-mediated Ca2+ release requires activation of the MAPK kinase (MEK)1,2/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1,2 pathway. Inhibition of the MEK1,2/ERK1,2 pathway by either serum starvation or treatment with selective MEK1,2 inhibitors PD98059 and U0126 or expression of a dominant-negative mutant form of MEK1 decreased the amplitude of the G17-stimulated Ca2+ release response. Activation of the MEK1,2/ERK1,2 pathway either by pretreating cells with EGF or by expression of constitutively active K-ras (K-rasV12G) or MEK1 (MEK1*) increased the amplitude of G17-stimulated Ca2+ release. Although EGF, MEK1*, and K-rasV12G activated the MEK1,2/ERK1,2 pathway, they did not increase [Ca2+](i) in the absence of G17. These data demonstrate that the activation state of the MEK1,2/ERK1,2 pathway can modulate the amplitude of the CCK(2)R-mediated Ca2+ release response and identify a novel mechanism for cross-talk between EGF receptor- and CCK(2)R-regulated signaling pathways.
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PMID:Epidermal growth factor potentiates cholecystokinin/gastrin receptor-mediated Ca2+ release by activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases. 1460 17

While Wnt and Ras signaling pathways are activated during progression of colorectal cancers, many of their important downstream targets remain to be elucidated. The gastrin gene encodes for a family of peptide growth factors that are commonly upregulated in colorectal neoplasia. Previously, we showed that the Wnt signaling pathway moderately stimulates the gastrin promoter. To determine whether Ras signaling can cooperate with Wnt signaling in transcriptional regulation of gastrin gene expression, we have analyzed the response of murine gastrin promoter-reporter gene constructs to combinations of oncogenic stimulation in transient transfection assays. We found a strong (25- to 40-fold) synergistic stimulation of the gastrin promoter by the combination of oncogenic beta-catenin and K-ras overexpression. Deletion analysis localized the response element to an area between -140 and -110bp upstream in the murine gastrin promoter. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays detected a complex containing beta-catenin/TCF, AP1, and SMAD3/4 transcription factors that bound to a DNA element through AP1 and SMAD binding sites. Gastrin promoter activation could be further enhanced or suppressed by the co-expression of wild type SMAD4 or dominant negative mutant of SMAD4, respectively, and abrogated by the PI3K inhibitor, LY20004, but not by the MEK inhibitor, PD98059. Taken together, our data strongly suggest that oncogenic Wnt and Ras signaling pathways can synergistically induce gastrin expression, possibly contributing to neoplastic progression.
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PMID:Synergistic activation of the murine gastrin promoter by oncogenic Ras and beta-catenin involves SMAD recruitment. 1613

The understanding of the biology of pancreatic carcinoma has greatly benefited from studies of genetic alterations and molecular expression in experimental models as well as in pre-cancerous and cancerous tissues by mean of molecular amplification and large scale transcriptome analysis. P16, TP53, DPC4/Smad4 tumor suppressor pathways are genetically inactivated in the majority of pancreatic carcinomas, whereas oncogenic k-ras is activated. The activating mutation of the K-ras oncogene on codon 12 seems to occur early in pancreatic carcinogenesis and detecting its mutation in tumor samples could have a clinical relevance in term of positive (improvement of current histological diagnosis) and differential diagnosis (versus chronic pancreatitis) of pancreatic cancer. At a late stage of tumor development, an increase of telomerase activity, an over expression of growth factors and/or their receptors (EGF, nerve growth factor, gastrin, bombesin), of proangiogenic factors (VEGF, FGF, PDGF), of invasiveness factors (metalloproteinases, E-cadherin, beta integrin, urokinase and tissue plasminogen activator) occur. All these molecular events contribute to the progression and to the metastatic potential of this carcinoma. New markers and targets are currently studied among microRNA and epigenetics events such as methylation and acetylation. Among all these molecular markers, some are now tested for their potential clinical interest in term of diagnosis or therapeutic target.
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PMID:[New molecular targets in pancreatic cancer]. 1854 14

Summary K-ras mutations are found in 40-50% of human colorectal adenomas and carcinomas, but their functional contribution remains incompletely understood. Here, we show that a conditional mutant K-ras mouse model (K-ras(Asp12)/Cre), with transient intestinal Cre activation by beta-Naphthoflavone (beta-NF) treatment, displayed transgene recombination and K-ras(Asp12) expression in the murine intestines, but developed few intestinal adenomas over 2 years. However, when crossed with Apc(Min/+) mice, the K-ras(Asp12)/Cre/Apc(Min/+) offspring showed acceleration of intestinal tumourigenesis with significantly changed average lifespan (P < 0.05) decreased to 18.4 +/- 5.4 weeks from 20.9 +/- 4.7 weeks (control Apc(Min/+) mice). The numbers of adenomas in the small intestine and large intestine were significantly (P < 0.01) increased by 1.5-fold and 5.7-fold, respectively, in K-ras(Asp12)/Cre/Apc(Min/+) mice compared with Apc(Min/+) mice, with the more marked increase in adenoma prevalence in the large intestine. To explore possible mechanisms for K-ras(Asp12) and Apc(Min) co-operation, the Mitogen-activated protein kinase (Mapk), Akt and Wnt signalling pathways, including selected target gene expression levels, were evaluated in normal large intestine and large intestinal tumours. K-ras(Asp12) increased activation of Mapk and Akt signalling pathway targets phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (pErk) and pAkt, and increased relative expression levels of Wnt pathway targets vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), gastrin, cyclo-oxygenase 2 (Cox2) and T-cell lymphoma invasion and metastasis 1 (Tiam1) in K-ras(Asp12)/Cre/Apc(Min/+) adenomas compared with that of Apc(Min/+) adenomas, although other Wnt signalling pathway target genes such as Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARd), matrix metalloproteinase 7 (MMP7), protein phosphatase 1 alpha (PP1A) and c-myc remained unchanged. In conclusion, intestinal expression of K-ras(Asp12) promotes mutant Apc-initiated intestinal adenoma formation in vivo more in the large intestine than the small intestine, with evidence of synergistic co-operation between mutant K-ras and Apc involving increased expression of some Wnt-pathway target genes.
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PMID:Mutated K-ras(Asp12) promotes tumourigenesis in Apc(Min) mice more in the large than the small intestines, with synergistic effects between K-ras and Wnt pathways. 1976 10


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