The Mechanism of Liver Metastasis in Pancreatic Cancer -The Role of Basement Membrane Components in Attachment and Migration of Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells-

Katsumi Amikura, Masao Kobari, Seiki Matsuno

The First Department of Surgery, Tohoku University, School of Medicine

The prognosis for pancreatic cancer is still poor because of high incidense of liver metastasis even after resection. We examined six human pancreatic cancer cell lines (PK-1, -9, -45H, -45P, -47, -59) for their ability to attach to a plate coated with basement membrane components and to primary cultured mouse hepatocytes. The ability of these cancer cells to migrate to the components through a micropore filter was also tested by a modified Boyden chamber assay. In the attachment assay, these cell lines (PK-1, -45P, -47) showed high levels of attachment to a plate coated with laminin or fibronectin. The same level of attachment to hepatocyte was also detected. However clinical characteristics of these cell lines did not correlate with tumor cell attachment. In the migration assay, four cell lines, PK-1, -45H, -59 (originating from liver metastases) and PK-47 (originating from a primary tumor with intense vascular invasion) showed increased migration to laminin or fibronectin. Among these cell lines, PK-45H, -47 and PK-59 showed definite migration through the filter on which hepatocytes were cultured. By immunofluoresence staining laminin and fibronectin were detected on surface of the hepatocytes. These results indicate that in pancreatic cancer laminin and fibronectin on the surface of hepatocytes can mediate tumor cell attachment and migration in the early phase of liver metastasis.

Key words
basement menbrane components, liver metastasis in pancreatic cancer, boyden chamber assay

Reprint requests
Katsumi Amikura First Department of Surgery, Tohoku University School of Medicine
1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980 JAPAN

Accepted
October 11, 1990

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