Growth inhibition of human pancreatic cancer cells by cholecystokinin receptor antagonist in tissue culture and in nude mice.

The Human pancreatic carcinoma cell line KP-1N and its clone KP-1NL which has a high rate of liver metastasis were established. Ki-ras DNA point mutation on the codon 12 was found. The growth of KP-1N was stimulated by a physiological range of concentration (10(-11)-10(-10) M) of cholecystokinin and the increase was inhibited by the addition of a cholecystokinin receptor antagonist (CR 1505). Daily injections of CR 1505 (35 mg/kg) diminished the number of tumor colonies in the liver that were formed after an intrasplenic injection of the highly liver metastatic KP-1NL cells. These results suggest that cholecystokinin antagonists may be useful as growth inhibitors for some pancreatic cancer.