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A Novel Transforming Growth Factor β Receptor Kinase Inhibitor, A-77, Prevents the Peritoneal Dissemination of Scirrhous Gastric Carcinoma

Authors' Affiliations: ¹ Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan and ² Department of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Chemistry, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, Kyoto, Japan

Requests for reprints: Masakazu Yashiro, Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan. Phone: 81-6-6645-3838; Fax: 81-6-6646-6450; E-mail: m9312510{at}med.osaka-cu.ac.jp.

Purpose: Transforming growth factor β receptor (TGFβ-R) is reported to correlate with the malignant potential of scirrhous gastric carcinoma. The aim of the current study is to clarify the possibility of molecular target therapy with a TGFβ-R inhibitor, A-77, for the treatment of peritoneal dissemination of scirrhous gastric cancer.

Experimental Design: Three scirrhous gastric cancer cell lines and two fibroblasts were used. For in vivo experiments, the A-77 was administered i.p. to mouse models of peritoneal dissemination. The influences of A-77 on the adhesion ability, invasion ability, and the expression of adhesion molecules were examined in vitro.

Results: The A-77 administration resulted in a significantly (P < 0.01) better prognosis for the mice with peritoneal dissemination (median survival time, 51 days), compared with the control (median survival time, 25 days). A-77 therefore significantly (P < 0.01) decreased the weight and number of metastatic nodes. The adhesive ability and invasion ability of cancer cells were significantly decreased by A-77. A-77 decreased the expression of ₂, ₃, and ₅ integrins in gastric cancer cells. The histologic findings showed the degree of fibrosis to be less in the tumors treated by A-77. A-77 decreased the growth of fibroblast and invasion-stimulating activity of fibroblasts on cancer cells.

Conclusion: The TGFβ-R inhibitor, A-77, decreased the expression of integrins in cancer cells and the proliferation of fibroblasts, which resulted in the decreased adhesive and invasive abilities of scirrhous gastric cancer cells to peritoneum. A-77 is thus considered to be useful for the inhibition of peritoneal dissemination of scirrhous gastric carcinoma.