MODIFICATION OF ANTIGEN EXPRESSION IN HUMAN AND HAMSTER PANCREATIC-CANCER CELL-LINES INDUCED BY SODIUM-BUTYRATE

The effects of sodium butyrate (NaB) on the growth, morphology, and ex pression of blood group A, Lewis(a), and CA 19-9 antigen in the hamste r pancreatic cancer cell lines, PC-1 (well differentiated) and PC- 1.0 (poorly differentiated), and of blood group A, DU-PAN-2, and CA 19-9 antigens in four human pancreatic cancer cell lines, HPAF and CD11 (we ll differentiated) and CD18 and PANC-1 (poorly differentiated), were e xamined. NaB inhibited the growth of all cell lines and induced cell e nlargement, an increase in secretory material, microfilaments, and pse udopodia. NaB stimulated the production of blood group A antigen in PC -1.0 cells dose dependently, but no change in the expression of this a ntigen was observed in the human cell lines. However, NaB treatment in creased the presence of cells positive for CA 19-9 in PANC-1 but not i n the remaining cell lines, none of which reacted with the anti-CA 19- 9 antibody before or after NaB treatment. Untreated PANC-1 cells did n ot produce either blood group A or DU-PAN-2 antigen, but expressed the se antigens after NaB treatment in a dose-dependent manner. The result s suggest that NaB stimulates the differentiation of the hamster and h uman pancreatic cancer cell lines and increases or induces the express ion of some tumor-associated antigens. (C) 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.