title: Somatostatin receptor subtype 2 sensitizes human pancreatic cancer cells to death ligand-induced apoptosis.
abstract: Somatostatin receptor subtype 2 (sst2) gene expression is lost in 90% of human pancreatic adenocarcinomas. We previously demonstrated that stable sst2 transfection of human pancreatic BxPC-3 cells, which do not endogenously express sst2, inhibits cell proliferation, tumorigenicity, and metastasis. These sst2 effects occur as a consequence of an autocrine sst2-dependent loop, whereby sst2 induces expression of its own ligand, somatostatin. Here we investigated whether sst2 induces apoptosis in sst2-transfected BxPC-3 cells. Expression of sst2 induced a 4.4- +/- 0.05-fold stimulation of apoptosis in BxPC-3 through the activation of tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1. sst2 also sensitized these cells to apoptosis induced by tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), enhancing it 4.1- +/- 1.5-fold. Apoptosis in BxPC-3 cells mediated by TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and CD95L was likewise increased 2.3- +/- 0.5-fold and 7.4- +/- 2.5-fold, respectively. sst2-dependent activation and cell sensitization to death ligand-induced apoptosis involved activation of the executioner caspases, key factors in both death ligand- or mitochondria-mediated apoptosis. sst2 affected both pathways: first, by up-regulating expression of TRAIL and TNFalpha receptors, DR4 and TNFRI, respectively, and sensitizing the cells to death ligand-induced initiator capase-8 activation, and, second, by down-regulating expression of the antiapoptotic mitochondrial Bcl-2 protein. These results are of interest for the clinical management of chemoresistant pancreatic adenocarcinoma by using a combined gene therapy based on the cotransfer of genes for both the sst2 and a nontoxic death ligand.
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U531, Institut Federatif de Recherche (IFR) 31, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Rangueil, France.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guillermet
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saint-Laurent
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rochaix
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Cuvillier
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Levade
authors.forename: Andrew V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Schally
authors.forename: Lucien
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pradayrol
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Buscail
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Susini
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bousquet
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D007700:Kinetics; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000502:physiology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D053824:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 6; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D017481:Receptors, Somatostatin / Q000502:physiology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; C505661:FASLG protein, human; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; D017481:Receptors, Somatostatin; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; C505653:TNFSF10 protein, human; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C093733:somatostatin receptor 2; C509249:PTPN6 protein, human; D053824:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 6; D017027:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases