vasoactive-intestinal-peptide and Carcinoma--Intraductal--Noninfiltrating

The endocrine cells in intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasms (IPN) of the pancreas have rarely been investigated. In the normal pancreatic ducts of normal pancreases (n = 5) there were a few endocrine cells: argyrophil in 5 (100%), chromogranin A in (100%), pancreatic polypeptide (PP) in 3 (60%), and insulin in 7 (20%). These endocrine cells were scattered, and located in the basal portions of pancreatic ducts. In IPN of the pancreas (n = 9), there were many endocrine cells: argyrophil in 7 (78%), argentaffin in 8 (89%), chromogranin A in 8 (89%), PP in 7 (78%), serotonin in 7 (78%), insulin in 4 (44%), and gastrin in 5 (56%). In invasive ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas (n = 6), many endocrine cells were also detected: argyrophil cells in (67%), chromogranin A in 3 (50%), insulin in 3 (50%), glucagon in 4 (67%), and somatostatin in 3 (50%). In positive cases, endocrine cells were situated under or among the neoplastic cells and the proportion of endocrine cells in IPN was less than 5% of the total neoplastic cell population. These data show that normal pancreatic ducts contain endocrine cells and that IPN frequently contain argyrophil, argentaffin, chromogranin A, and hormone-containing endocrine cells. These data also suggest that endocrine differentiation occurs during neoplastic transformation and progression of IPN of the pancreas.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous; Adenoma; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating; Chromogranin A; Chromogranins; Enterochromaffin Cells; Female; Gastrins; Glucagon; Histocytochemistry; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Insulin; Male; Middle Aged; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Pancreatic Polypeptide; Serotonin; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) receptors were identified in a human pancreatic carcinoma cell line by radioreceptor assay, including time course, dissociation study, competitive inhibition, and cross reactions with secretin and glucagon, both of which are hormones of the same family. Peak binding of 125I-VIP to the cells occurred at 20-30 min at 37 degrees C. Displacement curve showed an increasing inhibition of binding with increasing concentration of unlabeled VIP(inhibited by 95% at 1 microM of VIP). KD of VIP receptors was 1.68 x 10(-10)M, and the number of binding sites was 3.6 x 10(5)/cell. It was also shown that VIP was able to induce cAMP production in this cell line, indicating that the VIP receptors in this cell line were biologically active.

Topics: Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating; Humans; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Receptors, Gastrointestinal Hormone; Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide