[Effects of EGF, anti-EGF and anti-EGFR antibodies on the growth of human cancer cells].
In this study, 3 human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines (PC-1, PC-2 and PC-3) and 3 other human cancer cell lines (adenocarcinoma of lung, LETP; gastric carcinoma, SGL7901; and breast carcinoma, BCP37) were investigated by adding EGF, anti-EGF antiserum and anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody into culture medium. EGF was found to exert a mild stimulating effect on the growth of PC-1 and LETP cells, but had no effect on the other 4 cell lines. Anti-EGF and anti-EGFR antibodies inhibited the proliferation of PC-1, LETP and SGL7901 cells. No significant effect on the other 3 cell lines was seen. By using the Northern blot technique, expression of EGFR mRNA was identified in all 6 cell lines. There were 3 bands (10.5 kb, 5.8 kb and 2.8 kb) of EGFR mRNA in all cell lines except for LETP, in which the 10.5 kb band was absent. The results indicate that the effect of EGF on the growth of cancer cells is very complicated and may involve an unknown regulatory mechanism of cancer cell growth. EGF may exert stimulating or inhibiting effects on cancer cell proliferation, or it may have no effect at all, even though the EGFR gene was expressed in these cell lines.
Chen
J
J
PUMC Hospital, Beijing.
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000494:pharmacology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007106:Immune Sera; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D066246:ErbB Receptors