title: The in vitro growth response of primary human colorectal and gastric cancer cells to gastrin.
abstract: A series of 31 colorectal and 13 gastric primary human tumours were screened for their growth response to human gastrin-17 in vitro, as assessed by 75Se-seleno-methionine incorporation. Fifty-five percent of colorectal and 69% of gastric tumours showed a significant trophic response to the hormone. The responses were achieved at physiological gastrin concentrations (post-prandial circulating gastrin levels) in 35% of colorectal and 55% of gastric tumours. Lymphocytes from tumour-associated lymph nodes showed no response to the hormone and "normal" mucosal cells (obtained from the resection margin of the surgical specimen) showed lower mean levels of 75Se-seleno-methionine uptake (colorectal: 110%; gastric: 119%, expressed as a percentage of the control) when compared to tumours (colorectal: 151%; gastric: 147%). The small number of well differentiated and/or Dukes' stage A colorectal tumours examined were gastrin-responsive, but all the responsive gastric tumours were poorly differentiated. With respect to ploidy, 89% of diploid and 67% of aneuploid colorectal tumours responded trophically to gastrin. Patients with colorectal or gastric tumours may benefit from treatment with gastrin antagonists.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Campaign Laboratories, University of Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Durrant
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Crosbie
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Morris
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D005755:Gastrins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D011003:Ploidies / Q000187:drug effects; D012645:Selenomethionine; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D005755:Gastrins; D012645:Selenomethionine