Pancreatic amylase as a tumour marker for pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene. Pancreatic amylase has been purified from normal as well as treated rats after 2, 3 and 4 months of exposure to the carcinogen. The level of pancreatic amylase in rats with pancreatic carcinoma was significantly decreased (L.S.D.-5.25). Purified enzyme was then subjected to disc gel electrophoresis. Both normal and treated rats gave the same electrophoretic pattern (three bands: two major, and one minor). Therefore, there was no isoenzyme component in pancreatic extracts of rats bearing pancreatic cancer that could be held to be peculiar for pancreatic cancer. Histological findings showed a decrease in zymogen content together with its total absence in some areas of malignant cells. The data obtained suggested that the original carcinogenic events were associated with a decrease in amylase initial activity, and did not involve alteration in gene expression related to amylase biosynthesis.