Cholecystokinin-A receptor messenger RNA expression in human pancreatic cancer

Cholecystokinin (CCK) is a gut peptide hormone known to stimulate postprand ial gallbladder contraction and pancreatic enzyme secretion. It has also be en shown to induce the growth of normal pancreas and of malignant and prema lignant lesions in rodents. Although CCK has been shown to promote the grow th of human adenocarcinoma cell lines, its rule in the growth of human panc reatic adenocarcinomas in vivo is less clear. Localization of CCK receptors to neoplastic cells within resected human tissue specimens would be sugges tive of its potential action as an in vivo promoter of human pancreatic can cer. Resected tissue specimens of pancreatic adenocarcinomas were therefore studied by both reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) a nd in situ hybridization for the presence of CCK-A receptors. Ninety percen t of studied tumors demonstrated CCK-A expression by RT-PCR, and this expre ssion was localized to neoplastic cells by in situ hybridization. An increa se in the expression of CCK receptors is a mechanism by which pancreatic ma lignancies may gain a significant growth stimulus.