Melatonin inhibits the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in pancreatic cancer cells.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of melatonin on cellular proliferation and endogenous vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in pancreatic carcinoma cells (PANC-1).


METHODS
PANC-1 cells were cultured for this study. The secreted VEGF concentration in the culture medium was determined using ELISA method, VEGF production in the tumor cells was detected by immunocytochemistry, and VEGF mRNA expression was determined by RT-PCR.


RESULTS
Higher melatonin concentrations significantly inhibited cellular proliferation, with 1 mmol/L concentration exhibiting the highest inhibitory effect (P<0.01). VEGF concentrations in the cell culture supernatants and intra-cellules were all significantly reduced after melatonin (1 mmol/L) incubation (P<0.05). VEGF mRNA expression decreased markedly in a time-dependent manner during the observation period (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
High melatonin concentrations markedly inhibited the proliferation of pancreatic carcinoma cells. The endogenous VEGF expression was also suppressed by melatonin incubation.
Gastroenterology Department, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
Dong
D
Lv
Pei-Lin
PL
Cui
Shi-Wei
SW
Yao
You-Qing
YQ
Xu
Zhao-Xu
ZX
Yang
Melatonin; VEGF; pancreatic cancer