title: Endocrine glands-derived vascular endothelial growth factor protects pancreatic cancer cells from apoptosis via upregulation of the myeloid cell leukemia-1 protein.
abstract: Endocrine glands-derived vascular endothelial growth factor (EG-VEGF, also termed as Prok1)--a novel cytokine that selectively acts on the endothelial cells of endocrine glands--was recently reported to be involved in the regulation of tumor cell growth and survival. However, its roles in the regulation of pancreatic cancer progression remain unclear. In this report, we investigated the suppressive effects of EG-VEGF on pancreatic cancer cell apoptosis and the relevant mechanisms. By using reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) we found that the Mia PaCa II cells of the pancreatic cancer cell line express the mRNAs of both EG-VEGF (Prok1) and its receptors. EG-VEGF protects pancreatic cancer cells from apoptosis through upregulation of myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1), an anti-apoptotic protein of the bcl-2 family. Treatment of pancreatic cancer cells with EG-VEGF results in the rapid phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), STAT3, and AKT, which are involved in the upregulation of Mcl-1 expression. EG-VEGF (Prok1) protects Mia PaCa II cells from apoptosis through G protein-coupled receptor (GPR)-induced activation of multiple signal pathways, and hence can be a novel target for pancreatic cancer therapy.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Institute of Digestive Diseases, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Disease, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, PR China.
authors.forename: Li-Nan
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Qing-Fang
authors.initials: QF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Feng-Jun
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Yue-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Li-Sheng
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiao-Zhong
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D006801:Humans; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D064549:Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000378:metabolism; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation; D042662:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, Endocrine-Gland-Derived / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D064549:Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; D042662:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, Endocrine-Gland-Derived; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases