title: Prevention and delay in progression of human pancreatic cancer by stable overexpression of the opioid growth factor receptor.
abstract: This study examined overexpression of the opioid growth factor receptor (OGFr) in pancreatic cancer cells and phenotypic changes in tumorigenicity. Tumors of MIA PaCa-2 cells transfected with OGFr cDNA (OGFr-1) had 3.3 times more OGFr than empty vector (EV) neoplasias, and 4.3 times more OGFr than tumors from wild-type (WT) mice. No differences in OGFr binding were detected between tumors of EV and WT animals. Tumor incidence in OGFr-1 animals was reduced by up to 50% from EV mice. Latency times for OGFr-1 tumor expression were increased 30%, tumor volume was decreased 70%, and DNA synthesis was reduced 24% relative to EV mice. Exogenous OGF reduced OGFr-1 tumor volume up to 55% compared to OGFr-1 mice given vehicle. These data support OGFr gene function as a regulator of cell proliferation that impacts on tumorigenic expression, and suggest that molecular and pharmacological manipulation of OGFr may prevent or delay human pancreatic cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA. isz1@psu.edu
authors.forename: Ian S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Zagon
authors.forename: Shawn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kreiner
authors.forename: Jeffery J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Heslop
authors.forename: Andrea B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Conway
authors.forename: Clinton R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.forename: Patricia J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: McLaughlin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000502:physiology; D018450:Disease Progression; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D011957:Receptors, Opioid; C033593:methionine-enkephalin receptor