Epidermal growth factor induces cyclin D1 in human pancreatic carcinoma: evidence for a cyclin D1-dependent cell cycle progression

• Published in: Pancreas Vol. 23; no. 3; p. 280
• Main Authors: Poch, B, Gansauge, F, Schwarz, A, Seufferlein, T, Schnelldorfer, T, Ramadani, M, Beger, H G, Gansauge, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.10.2001
• Subjects: Blotting, Western; Cell Cycle; Cell Division; Cyclin D1 - biosynthesis; Cyclin D1 - genetics; Cyclin D1 - physiology; Epidermal Growth Factor - genetics; Epidermal Growth Factor - pharmacology; ErbB Receptors - genetics; ErbB Receptors - physiology; G1 Phase - drug effects; Gene Expression; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Kinetics; Pancreatic Neoplasms - metabolism; Pancreatic Neoplasms - pathology; Prognosis; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - analysis; S Phase - drug effects; Tumor Cells, Cultured
• ISSN: 0885-3177
• DOI: 10.1097/00006676-200110000-00009

We recently showed that cyclin D1 is overexpressed in human pancreatic carcinoma cells, and that this overexpression correlates significantly with a poor prognosis. To assess the interrelations of epidermal growth factor (EGF), EGF receptor (EGFR), and cyclin D1 in human pancreatic carcinoma. In pancreatic carcinoma cell lines (BxPC-3, AsPC-1), cell cycle analysis revealed an increase in cells in the S/G1 phase between 18 and 30 hours after stimulation with 50 ng/mL EGF. Cyclin D1 mRNA increased after 2 hours, corresponding to an increase in cyclin D1 protein, with the maximum level between 7.5 and 10 hours after stimulation, as demonstrated by Western blot analysis. We performed immunohistochemical analysis on 61 adenocarcinoma tissues for the expression of EGF, EGFR, and cyclin D1 and demonstrated an overexpression in the tumor cells in 51%, 54%, and 62.3%, respectively, whereas normal human pancreas stained negative for all of the three factors. Interestingly, EGF and EGFR expression correlated significantly with the cyclin D1 expression in human pancreatic tumor cells (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01, respectively). These results demonstrate that cyclin D1 overexpression in the tumor cells of pancreatic carcinoma tissue is at least partly dependent on the mitogenic effects of EGF signaling through the EGFR.