Carcinogenesis Advance Access originally published online on April 21, 2007
Carcinogenesis 2007 28(8):1692-1696; doi:10.1093/carcin/bgm095
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Suppression of N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine-induced pancreatic carcinogenesis in hamsters by pioglitazone, a ligand of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor 
Cancer Prevention Basic Research Project, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 1-1 Tsukiji 5-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
1 Department of Biological Safety Research, Japan Food Research Laboratories, Bunkyo 2-3, Chitose-shi, Hokkaido 066-0052, Japan
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +81-3-3542-2511 ext.4350; Fax: +81-3-3543-9305;Email: kwakabay{at}gan2.res.ncc.go.jp
Fat intake and obesity are positively correlated with pancreatic cancer in humans. N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine (BOP) induces pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas limited to Syrian golden hamsters, other rodents not being susceptible. In the present study, we found markedly high levels of serum triglycerides (TGs) and total cholesterol (TC) in Syrian golden hamsters, but not C57BL/6 mice, ICR mice, F344 rats and Wistar rats. Consistent with this, lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activities in the liver were lower in hamsters compared with mice and rats. To examine effects of pioglitazone, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor 
(PPAR) ligand, on LPL expression, serum lipid levels and pancreatic cancer development, 6-week-old female Syrian golden hamsters were subcutaneously injected with BOP (10 mg/kg body wt) four times in a week and thereafter fed a diet containing 800 p.p.m. pioglitazone for 22 weeks. The treatment elevated LPL mRNA expression in the liver and significantly improved hyperlipidemia with serum levels of TG and TC being decreased to 62 and 71%, respectively, of the control values. Concurrently, the incidence and multiplicity of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas were significantly decreased by pioglitazone in comparison with the controls (38 versus 80%, P < 0.01 and 0.55 ± 0.15 versus 1.37 ± 0.22, P < 0.01, respectively). The suppression rates were grater in invasive adenocarcinomas than non-invasive ones. The incidence of cholangiocellular carcinomas was also reduced. Thus, suppression of pancreatic adenocarcinoma development by pioglitazone is possibly associated with improvement in the serum lipid profile, and hyperlipidemia could be an enhancing factor for development of pancreatic cancer in hamsters.
Abbreviations: Apc, adenomatous polyposis coli; BOP, N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine; IL, interleukin; LPL, lipoprotein lipase; MMP, matrix metalloproteinase; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; PPAR, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ; RT, reverse transcription; TC, total cholesterol; TG, triglyceride; TZD, thiazolidinedione
Received December 25, 2006; revised March 15, 2007; accepted April 11, 2007.