Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 29, 2025

Assessment of Mitochondrial Functions and Cell Viability in Renal Cells Overexpressing Protein Kinase C Isozymes
Published on: January 7, 2013
Protein kinase C delta mediates Pasireotide effects in an ACTH-secreting pituitary tumor cell line
E Gentilin1,2, P Borges De Souza3, M R Ambrosio3
1Bioacoustics Research Laboratory, Department of Neurosciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy. erica.gentilin@unipd.it.
Purpose:
Clinical control of corticotroph tumors is difficult to achieve since they usually persist or relapse after surgery. Pasireotide is approved to treat patients with Cushing's disease for whom surgical therapy is not an option. However, Pasireotide seems to be effective only in a sub-set of patients, highlighting the importance to find a response marker to this approach. Recent studies demonstrated that the delta isoform of protein kinase C (PRKCD) controls viability and cell cycle progression of an in vitro model of ACTH-secreting pituitary tumor, the AtT-20/D16v-F2 cells. This study aims at exploring the possible PRKCD role in mediating Pasireotide effects.
Methods:
It was assessed cell viability, POMC expression and ACTH secretion in AtT20/D16v-F2 cells over- or under-expressing PRKCD.
Results:
We found that Pasireotide significantly reduces AtT20/D16v-F2 cell viability, POMC expression and ACTH secretion. In addition, Pasireotide reduces miR-26a expression. PRKCD silencing decreases AtT20/D16v-F2 cell sensitivity to Pasireotide treatment; on the contrary, PRKCD overexpression increases the inhibitory effects of Pasireotide on cell viability and ACTH secretion.
Conclusion:
Our results provide new insights into potential PRKCD contribution in Pasireotide mechanism of action and suggest that PRKCD might be a possible marker of therapeutic response in ACTH-secreting pituitary tumors.
Related Concept Videos
PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway
cAMP-dependent Protein Kinase Pathways
Amplifying Signals via Enzymatic Cascade
The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
GPCRs Regulate Adenylyl Cylase Activity

