title: Active hexose-correlated compound down-regulates HSP27 of pancreatic cancer cells, and helps the cytotoxic effect of gemcitabine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Active hexose-correlated compound (AHCC), an extract of basidiomycete mushroom, is used as health food to enhance the therapeutic effects and reduce the adverse effects of chemotherapy. Our previous proteomic analysis revealed that up-regulation of heat-shock protein 27 (HSP27) was responsible for gemcitabine resistance of pancreatic cancer cells. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of AHCC on the expression of HSP27 and the effect of combinatorial treatment of AHCC and gemcitabine on the gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer cell line KLM1-R.
  
  
  METHODS
  KLM1-R cells were treated with AHCC, and the expression of HSP27 as well as the cytotoxic effects of combinatorial treatment of AHCC and gemcitabine were investigated with western blotting and MTS assay, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AHCC down-regulated HSP27 and exhibited a cytotoxic effect on KLM1-R cells. Furthermore, the cytotoxic effect of the combinatorial treatment of AHCC and gemcitabine was synergistic.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study supports the potential therapeutic benefits of combinatorial treatment of AHCC and gemcitabine for patients with pancreatic cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Functional Proteomics, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Minami-Kogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan. climates@yamaguchi-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Shigeyuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suenaga
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kuramitsu
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaino
authors.forename: Shin-Ichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maehara
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maehara
authors.forename: Isao
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sakaida
authors.forename: Kazuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakamura
mesh_terms: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000187:drug effects*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects*; D055551:HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D006801:Humans; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D055551:HSP27 Heat-Shock Proteins; C057725:HSPB1 protein, human; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D011134:Polysaccharides; D003841:Deoxycytidine; C499366:Active Hexose Correlated Compound; D000093542:Gemcitabine
keywords: Active hexose-correlated compound; gemcitabine; heat-shock protein 27; pancreatic cancer