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Published on: November 19, 2019
Pancreatic enzyme extract improves survival in murine pancreatic cancer
Murat Saruc1, Silke Standop, Jens Standop
1Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-6805, USA.
Objectives:
The disappointing current therapeutic approaches for pancreatic cancer (PC) represent an urgent need for the development of novel methods to control the disease. Based on a recent report on the effectiveness of pancreatic enzyme therapy, we examined the effect of porcine pancreatic enzyme extracts (PPE) on human PC xenografts in nude mice.
Methods:
The malignant human PC cell line AsPC1 was transplanted into the pancreas of male beige XID nude mice that were treated or not with PPE in drinking water. The survival, size, and volume of tumors, plasma pancreatic enzyme levels, fecal fat, and urine were examined as were the expression of transforming growth factor alpha, insulinlike growth factor-I, epidermal growth factor, epidermal growth factor receptor, apoptosis, and proliferation rate of tumor cells.
Results:
PPE-treated mice survived significantly longer than the control group (P < 0.002). Tumors in the PPE-treated group were significantly smaller than in the control group. All mice in the control group showed steatorrhea, hyperglucosuria, hyperbilirubinuria, and ketonuria at early stages of tumor growth, whereas only a few in the treated group showed some of these abnormalities at the final stage. There were no differences in the expression of growth factors, epidermal growth factor receptor, or the apoptotic rate between the tumors of treated and control mice.
Conclusions:
The treatment with PPE significantly prolongs the survival of mice with human PC xenografts and slows the tumor growth. The data indicate that the beneficial effect of PPE on survival is primarily related to the nutritional advantage of the treated mice.
Insights
Porcine pancreatic enzyme extracts (PPE) significantly extended survival and reduced tumor size in mice with human pancreatic cancer (PC) xenografts. The benefits are linked to improved nutrition, not direct anti-cancer effects.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Gastroenterology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Current pancreatic cancer (PC) treatments are inadequate, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies.
- Pancreatic enzyme therapy has shown potential, prompting investigation into its efficacy for PC.
- Porcine pancreatic enzyme extracts (PPE) were evaluated for their effects on human PC xenografts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the therapeutic potential of porcine pancreatic enzyme extracts (PPE) in a human pancreatic cancer (PC) xenograft model.
- To assess the impact of PPE on tumor growth, survival rates, and physiological markers in mice with PC xenografts.
Main Methods:
- Human PC cell line AsPC1 was xenografted into nude mice.
- Mice received PPE in drinking water or served as controls.
- Evaluated outcomes included survival, tumor size, plasma enzyme levels, fecal fat, urine analysis, and tumor cell proliferation and apoptosis.
Main Results:
- PPE treatment significantly increased survival time and reduced tumor size compared to controls (P < 0.002).
- Control mice exhibited early-stage steatorrhea and abnormal urine markers, which were less frequent in PPE-treated mice.
- No significant differences were observed in growth factor expression, epidermal growth factor receptor, or apoptosis rates between groups.
Conclusions:
- PPE treatment significantly prolongs survival and slows tumor growth in mice with human PC xenografts.
- The observed benefits of PPE are primarily attributed to a nutritional advantage conferred to the treated mice.
- This study suggests a supportive role for PPE in managing pancreatic cancer, likely through nutritional enhancement.
