title: Inhibition by neurotensin of azaserine-induced carcinogenesis in rat pancreas.
abstract: The effect of neurotensin on pancreatic carcinogenesis induced by azaserine was investigated in Wistar rats. Rats were given weekly injections of 10 mg/kg body weight of azaserine for 25 weeks and 200 micrograms/kg body weight of neurotensin in depot form every other day for 62 weeks. Carcinogen-induced pancreatic lesions were examined by histochemical techniques, and were classified as ATPase-positive or ATPase-negative. In week 62, quantitative histological analysis showed that prolonged administration of neurotensin significantly reduced the volume (as percent of parenchyma) of ATPase-positive pancreatic lesions, which are closely correlated with the ultimate development of pancreatic cancer. Histologically, pancreatic adenocarcinomas occurred at a significantly lower rate in rats treated with neurotensin than in untreated rats. Administration of neurotensin also significantly decreased the labelling indices of carcinogen-induced pancreatic lesions, but not of the surrounding acinar cells. These findings indicate that neurotensin inhibits pancreatic carcinogenesis, and that this may be related to the reduction of ATPase-positive lesions and to the inhibition of cell proliferation in neoplastic lesions of the pancreas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Center for Adult Diseases, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tatsuta
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iishi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baba
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakaizumi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001377:Azaserine / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000633:toxicity*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009496:Neurotensin / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010179:Pancreas / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D009496:Neurotensin; D001377:Azaserine