Coexpression of cholecystokinin-B/gastrin receptor and gastrin gene in human gastric tissues and gastric cancer cell line.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the expression patterns of cholecystokinin-B (CCK-B)/gastrin receptor genes in matched human gastric carcinoma and adjacent non-neoplastic mucosa of patients with gastric cancer, inflammatory gastric mucosa from patients with gastritis, normal stomachs from 2 autopsied patients and a gastric carcinoma cell line (SGC-7901), and to explore their relationship with progression to malignancy of human gastric carcinomas.


METHODS
RT-PCR and sequencing were employed to detect the mRNA expression levels of CCK-B receptor and gastrin gene in specimens from 30 patients with gastric carcinoma and healthy bordering non-cancerous mucosa, 10 gastritis patients and normal stomachs from 2 autopsied patients as well as SGC-7901. The results were semi-quantified by normalizing it to the mRNA level of beta-actin gene using Lab Image software. The sequences were analyzed by BLAST program.


RESULTS
CCK-B receptor transcripts were detected in all of human gastric tissues in this study, including normal, inflammatory and malignant tissues and SGC-7901. However, the expression levels of CCK-B receptor in normal gastric tissues were higher than those in other groups (P<0.05), and its expressions did not correlate with the differentiation and metastasis of gastric cancer (P>0.05). On the other hand, gastrin mRNA was detected in SGC-7901 and in specimens obtained from gastric cancer patients (22/30) but not in other gastric tissues, and its expression was highly correlated with the metastases of gastric cancer (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Human gastric carcinomas and gastric cancer cell line SGC-7901 cells coexpress CCK-B receptor and gastrin mRNA. Gastrin/CCK-B receptor autocrine or paracrine pathway may possibly play an important role in the progression of gastric cancer.
Zhou
Jian-Jiang
JJ
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, West China Medical Center, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. zjjdjb@hotmail.com
Chen
Man-Ling
ML
Zhang
Qun-Zhou
QZ
Hu
Jian-Kun
JK
Wang
Wen-Ling
WL
D001483:Base Sequence; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D005755:Gastrins / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D043887:Receptor, Cholecystokinin B / Q000378:metabolism*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*
D005755:Gastrins; D043887:Receptor, Cholecystokinin B