Sam. Laws et al., SOMATOSTATIN RECEPTOR SUBTYPE MESSENGER-RNA EXPRESSION IN HUMAN COLORECTAL-CANCER AND NORMAL COLONIC MUCOSAE, British Journal of Cancer, 75(3), 1997, pp. 360-366
Somatostatin analogues may be useful novel agents in the systemic trea
tment of advanced colorectal cancer, as somatostatin inhibits prolifer
ation in a wide variety of cell types. Here, we report the expression
profiles of somatostatin receptor mRNAs in 32 pairs of malignant and n
ormal colonic epithelia. Receptor subtype 2 (hSSTR2) mRNA was detected
throughout nearly 90% of both malignant and normal tissue by reverse
transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and in situ hybridiza
tion. Subtype 5 (hSSTR5) mRNA was detected in 46% and 45% of tumour an
d mucosal samples respectively, but in 75% (9/12) of early-stage tumou
rs (tubulovillous adenomas, Dukes' A and B) compared with 31% (5/16) o
f late-stage tumours (Dukes' C and 'D' tumours), 0.05>P>0.025 (chi(2)
with Yates' correction). There was also reduced expression of hSSTR5 i
n samples of metastatic tumour (11%, 1/9) compared with all tumour sam
ples (56%, 18/32) 0.025>P>0.01 (chi(2) with Yates' correction). Other
hSSTRs (1, 3 and 4) were expressed infrequently. Thus, hSSTR2 expressi
on is retained after malignant transformation in colonic epithelium an
d, although it may potentially be a target for antiproliferative thera
py, its ubiquitous expression militates against this. hSSTR5 warrants
investigation as a tumour suppressor.