Nicotine promotes initiation and progression of KRAS-induced pancreatic cancer via Gata6-dependent dedifferentiation of acinar cells in mice.

Although smoking is a leading risk factor for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), little is known about the mechanisms by which smoking promotes initiation or progression of PDAC. We studied the effects of nicotine administration on pancreatic cancer development in Kras(+/LSLG12Vgeo);Elas-tTA/tetO-Cre (Ela-KRAS) mice, Kras(+/LSLG12D);Trp53+/LSLR172H;Pdx-1-Cre (KPC) mice (which express constitutively active forms of KRAS), and C57/B6 mice. Mice were given nicotine for up to 86 weeks to produce blood levels comparable with those of intermediate smokers. Pancreatic tissues were collected and analyzed by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction; cells were isolated and assayed for colony and sphere formation and gene expression. The effects of nicotine were also evaluated in primary pancreatic acinar cells isolated from wild-type, nAChR7a(-/-), Trp53(-/-), and Gata6(-/-);Trp53(-/-) mice. We also analyzed primary PDAC cells that overexpressed GATA6 from lentiviral expression vectors. Administration of nicotine accelerated transformation of pancreatic cells and tumor formation in Ela-KRAS and KPC mice. Nicotine induced dedifferentiation of acinar cells by activating AKT-ERK-MYC signaling; this led to inhibition of Gata6 promoter activity, loss of GATA6 protein, and subsequent loss of acinar differentiation and hyperactivation of oncogenic KRAS. Nicotine also promoted aggressiveness of established tumors as well as the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, increasing numbers of circulating cancer cells and their dissemination to the liver, compared with mice not exposed to nicotine. Nicotine induced pancreatic cells to acquire gene expression patterns and functional characteristics of cancer stem cells. These effects were markedly attenuated in K-Ras(+/LSL-G12D);Trp53(+/LSLR172H);Pdx-1-Cre mice given metformin. Metformin prevented nicotine-induced pancreatic carcinogenesis and tumor growth by up-regulating GATA6 and promoting differentiation toward an acinar cell program. In mice, nicotine promotes pancreatic carcinogenesis and tumor development via down-regulation of Gata6 to induce acinar cell dedifferentiation.

Hermann PC ，Sancho P ，Cañamero M ，Martinelli P ，Madriles F ，Michl P ，Gress T ，de Pascual R ，Gandia L ，Guerra C ，Barbacid M ，Wagner M ，Vieira CR ，Aicher A ，Real FX ，Sainz B Jr ，Heeschen C ... -  《-》

Insights into the role of nicotine in pancreatic stem cell activation and acinar dedifferentiation.

Ponnusamy MP ，Batra SK 《-》

Oncogenic KRAS Reduces Expression of FGF21 in Acinar Cells to Promote Pancreatic Tumorigenesis in Mice on a High-Fat Diet.

Obesity is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. In mice, a high-fat diet (HFD) and expression of oncogenic KRAS lead to development of invasive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) by unknown mechanisms. We investigated how oncogenic KRAS regulates the expression of fibroblast growth factor 21, FGF21, a metabolic regulator that prevents obesity, and the effects of recombinant human FGF21 (rhFGF21) on pancreatic tumorigenesis. We performed immunohistochemical analyses of FGF21 levels in human pancreatic tissue arrays, comprising 59 PDAC specimens and 45 nontumor tissues. We also studied mice with tamoxifen-inducible expression of oncogenic KRAS in acinar cells (KrasG12D/+ mice) and fElasCreERT mice (controls). KrasG12D/+ mice were placed on an HFD or regular chow diet (control) and given injections of rhFGF21 or vehicle; pancreata were collected and analyzed by histology, immunoblots, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and immunohistochemistry. We measured markers of inflammation in the pancreas, liver, and adipose tissue. Activity of RAS was measured based on the amount of bound guanosine triphosphate. Pancreatic tissues of mice expressed high levels of FGF21 compared with liver tissues. FGF21 and its receptor proteins were expressed by acinar cells. Acinar cells that expressed KrasG12D/+ had significantly lower expression of Fgf21 messenger RNA compared with acinar cells from control mice, partly due to down-regulation of PPARG expression-a transcription factor that activates Fgf21 transcription. Pancreata from KrasG12D/+ mice on a control diet and given injections of rhFGF21 had reduced pancreatic inflammation, infiltration by immune cells, and acinar-to-ductal metaplasia compared with mice given injections of vehicle. HFD-fed KrasG12D/+ mice given injections of vehicle accumulated abdominal fat, developed extensive inflammation, pancreatic cysts, and high-grade pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasias (PanINs); half the mice developed PDAC with liver metastases. HFD-fed KrasG12D/+ mice given injections of rhFGF21 had reduced accumulation of abdominal fat and pancreatic triglycerides, fewer pancreatic cysts, reduced systemic and pancreatic markers of inflammation, fewer PanINs, and longer survival-only approximately 12% of the mice developed PDACs, and none of the mice had metastases. Pancreata from HFD-fed KrasG12D/+ mice given injections of rhFGF21 had lower levels of active RAS than from mice given vehicle. Normal acinar cells from mice and humans express high levels of FGF21. In mice, acinar expression of oncogenic KRAS significantly reduces FGF21 expression. When these mice are placed on an HFD, they develop extensive inflammation, pancreatic cysts, PanINs, and PDACs, which are reduced by injection of FGF21. FGF21 also reduces the guanosine triphosphate binding capacity of RAS. FGF21 might be used in the prevention or treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Luo Y ，Yang Y ，Liu M ，Wang D ，Wang F ，Bi Y ，Ji J ，Li S ，Liu Y ，Chen R ，Huang H ，Wang X ，Swidnicka-Siergiejko AK ，Janowitz T ，Beyaz S ，Wang G ，Xu S ，Bialkowska AB ，Luo CK ，Pin CL ，Liang G ，Lu X ，Wu M ，Shroyer KR ，Wolff RA ，Plunkett W ，Ji B ，Li Z ，Li E ，Li X ，Yang VW ，Logsdon CD ，Abbruzzese JL ，Lu W ... -  《-》

Krüppel-like Factor 5, Increased in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Promotes Proliferation, Acinar-to-Ductal Metaplasia, Pancreatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia, and Tumor Growth in Mice.

Activating mutations in KRAS are detected in most pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs). Expression of an activated form of KRAS (KrasG12D) in pancreata of mice is sufficient to induce formation of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanINs)-a precursor of PDAC. Pancreatitis increases formation of PanINs in mice that express KrasG12D by promoting acinar-to-ductal metaplasia (ADM). We investigated the role of the transcription factor Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) in ADM and KRAS-mediated formation of PanINs. We performed studies in adult mice with conditional disruption of Klf5 (Klf5fl/fl) and/or expression of KrasG12D (LSL-KrasG12D) via CreERTM recombinase regulated by an acinar cell-specific promoter (Ptf1a). Activation of KrasG12D and loss of KLF5 was achieved by administration of tamoxifen. Pancreatitis was induced in mice by administration of cerulein; pancreatic tissues were collected, analyzed by histology and immunohistochemistry, and transcriptomes were compared between mice that did or did not express KLF5. We performed immunohistochemical analyses of human tissue microarrays, comparing levels of KLF5 among 96 human samples of PDAC. UN-KC-6141 cells (pancreatic cancer cells derived from Pdx1-Cre;LSL-KrasG12D mice) were incubated with inhibitors of different kinases and analyzed in proliferation assays and by immunoblots. Expression of KLF5 was knocked down with small hairpin RNAs or CRISPR/Cas9 strategies; cells were analyzed in proliferation and gene expression assays, and compared with cells expressing control vectors. Cells were subcutaneously injected into flanks of syngeneic mice and tumor growth was assessed. Of the 96 PDAC samples analyzed, 73% were positive for KLF5 (defined as nuclear staining in more than 5% of tumor cells). Pancreata from Ptf1a-CreERTM;LSL-KrasG12D mice contained ADM and PanIN lesions, which contained high levels of nuclear KLF5 within these structures. In contrast, Ptf1a-CreERTM;LSL-KrasG12D;Klf5fl/fl mice formed fewer PanINs. After cerulein administration, Ptf1a-CreERTM;LSL-KrasG12D mice formed more extensive ADM than Ptf1a-CreERTM;LSL-KrasG12D;Klf5fl/fl mice. Pancreata from Ptf1a-CreERTM;LSL-KrasG12D;Klf5fl/fl mice had increased expression of the tumor suppressor NDRG2 and reduced phosphorylation (activation) of STAT3, compared with Ptf1a-CreERTM;LSL-KrasG12D mice. In UN-KC-6141 cells, PI3K and MEK signaling increased expression of KLF5; a high level of KLF5 increased proliferation. Cells with knockdown of Klf5 had reduced proliferation, compared with control cells, had reduced expression of ductal markers, and formed smaller tumors (71.61 ± 30.79 mm3 vs 121.44 ± 34.90 mm3 from control cells) in flanks of mice. Levels of KLF5 are increased in human PDAC samples and in PanINs of Ptf1a-CreERTM;LSL-KrasG12D mice, compared with controls. KLF5 disruption increases expression of NDRG2 and reduces activation of STAT3 and reduces ADM and PanINs formation in mice. Strategies to reduce KLF5 activity might reduce progression of acinar cells from ADM to PanIN and pancreatic tumorigenesis.

He P ，Yang JW ，Yang VW ，Bialkowska AB ... -  《-》

NFATc1 Links EGFR Signaling to Induction of Sox9 Transcription and Acinar-Ductal Transdifferentiation in the Pancreas.

Oncogenic mutations in KRAS contribute to the development of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, but are not sufficient to initiate carcinogenesis. Secondary events, such as inflammation-induced signaling via the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and expression of the SOX9 gene, are required for tumor formation. Herein we sought to identify the mechanisms that link EGFR signaling with activation of SOX9 during acinar-ductal metaplasia, a transdifferentiation process that precedes pancreatic carcinogenesis. We analyzed pancreatic tissues from Kras(G12D);pdx1-Cre and Kras(G12D);NFATc1(Δ/Δ);pdx1-Cre mice after intraperitoneal administration of caerulein, vs cyclosporin A or dimethyl sulfoxide (controls). Induction of EGFR signaling and its effects on the expression of Nuclear factor of activated T cells c1 (NFATc1) or SOX9 were investigated by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, immunoblot, and immunohistochemical analyses of mouse and human tissues and acinar cell explants. Interactions between NFATc1 and partner proteins and effects on DNA binding or chromatin modifications were studied using co-immunoprecipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays in acinar cell explants and mouse tissue. EGFR activation induced expression of NFATc1 in metaplastic areas from patients with chronic pancreatitis and in pancreatic tissue from Kras(G12D) mice. EGFR signaling also promoted formation of a complex between NFATc1 and C-JUN in dedifferentiating mouse acinar cells, leading to activation of Sox9 transcription and induction of acinar-ductal metaplasia. Pharmacologic inhibition of NFATc1 or disruption of the Nfatc1 gene inhibited EGFR-mediated induction of Sox9 transcription and blocked acinar-ductal transdifferentiation and pancreatic cancer initiation in mice. EGFR signaling induces expression of NFATc1 and Sox9, leading to acinar cell transdifferentiation and initiation of pancreatic cancer. Strategies designed to disrupt this pathway might be developed to prevent pancreatic cancer initiation in high-risk patients with chronic pancreatitis.

Chen NM ，Singh G ，Koenig A ，Liou GY ，Storz P ，Zhang JS ，Regul L ，Nagarajan S ，Kühnemuth B ，Johnsen SA ，Hebrok M ，Siveke J ，Billadeau DD ，Ellenrieder V ，Hessmann E ... -  《-》