Inhibition of epidermal growth factor-induced interleukin-1 beta-converting enzyme expression reduces proliferation in the pancreatic carcinoma cell line AsPC-1

It is suggested that interleukin-1 beta-converting enzyme (ICE) and ICE-rel ated proteases play an important role in programmed cell death (apoptosis), We investigated ICE expression in the human pancreatic carcinoma cell line AsPC-1 after stimulation with epidermal growth factor and found a time-dep endent expression of active ICE induced by epidermal growth factor. Interes tingly, ICE expression does not lead to apoptosis, Cell cycle analyses reve aled that acetyl-Tyr-Val-Ala-Asp-chloromethyl-ketone-specific and acetyl-Al a-Ala-Val-Ala-Leu-Leu-Pro-Ala-V Leu-AIa-Leu-Leu-Ala-Pro-Tyr-Val-AIa-Asp- ce ll-permeable inhibitors of ICE significantly reduced the proliferation of A sPC-1 cells, which suggested a positive influence of ICE on the proliferati on in human pancreatic carcinoma cells.