Selective inhibition of endothelin receptor A as an anti-angiogenic and anti-proliferative strategy for human pancreatic cancer

J Gastrointest Surg. 2005 May-Jun;9(5):703-9. doi: 10.1016/j.gassur.2004.11.007.

Abstract

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) plays a major role in tumor proliferation and angiogenesis of various types of cancer acting through endothelin receptors A and B (ET(R)A and ET(R)B). The aim of this study was to analyze the ET-1/ET(R) system in human pancreatic cancer cell lines and to evaluate the effect of a selective endothelin A inhibitor in vitro and in vivo in an orthotopic mouse model. Three different human pancreatic cancer cell lines, MiaPaCa-2, AsPC-1, and Panc-1, were studied. We found that proliferation of human pancreatic carcinoma cells expressing ET(R)A was significantly reduced with a selective antagonist. Hypoxic conditions led to improved results compared to a normoxic environment (MiaPaCa-2: -53% vs. -18%; AsPC-1: -54% vs. -46%). Proliferation of ET(R)A negative Panc-1 cells was not decreased. In vivo, the selective ET(R)A inhibition resulted in reduced angiogenesis as measured by lower microvessel densities (MiaPaCa-2: -47%; AsPC-1: -55%). The blockade of ET(R)A decreased the volume (MiaPaCa-2: -87%; AsPC-1: -28%) and metastatic spread (MiaPaCa-2: -95.5%; AsPC-1: -27%) of receptor-positive tumors, thereby increasing survival in experimental pancreatic cancer. ET(R)A blockade did not show an effect on ET(R)A negative Panc-1 tumors. Therefore, targeting ET(R)A with a selective antagonist might provide a new approach to reducing proliferation and angiogenesis in human pancreatic cancer.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / drug therapy*
  • Adenocarcinoma / pathology
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Benzhydryl Compounds / pharmacology*
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / analysis
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Neoplasms, Experimental
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic / prevention & control*
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / pathology
  • Probability
  • Pyrimidines / pharmacology*
  • RNA, Messenger / analysis
  • Random Allocation
  • Receptor, Endothelin A / drug effects*
  • Receptor, Endothelin A / metabolism
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured / cytology
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured / drug effects

Substances

  • BSF 302146
  • Benzhydryl Compounds
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Pyrimidines
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Receptor, Endothelin A