title: Activation of Toll-like receptor 7 inhibits the proliferation and migration, and induces the apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells.
abstract: Pancreatic cancer is one of the most malignant types of tumor and has a poor prognosis. Toll‑like receptor 7 (TLR7) has been found to be present and have different roles in different types of cancer cells. In the present study, the roles of TLR7 in BxPC‑3 cells, a human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell line, were investigated. The cells were treated with gardiquimod, an agonist of TLR7, following which the properties of the cells, including proliferation, migration, cell cycle and apoptosis, were analyzed. It was revealed that activation of TLR7 by gardiquimod inhibited cell proliferation and migration, and induced apoptosis of the cells. In addition, gardiquimod downregulated the expression levels of cyclin B1, cyclin E and B‑cell lymphoma 2, while upregulating the expression of B‑cell‑associated X protein. These results suggested that the activation of TLR7 suppresses the progression of pancreatic cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Bing-Bing
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Feng-Wei
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Li-Xin
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230022, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiaoping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Sheng-Quan
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000634:Aminoquinolines / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D019927:Cyclin E / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015536:Down-Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D015513:Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D051199:Toll-Like Receptor 7 / Q000819:agonists / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000634:Aminoquinolines; C494826:BAX protein, human; C475820:CCNE1 protein, human; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D019927:Cyclin E; D007093:Imidazoles; D015513:Oncogene Proteins; C495348:TLR7 protein, human; D051199:Toll-Like Receptor 7; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051176:beta Catenin; C546771:gardiquimod