Skip to main content
British Journal of Cancer logoLink to British Journal of Cancer
. 1991 Feb;63(2):252–256. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1991.59

Production of parathyroid hormone-related protein in tumour xenografts in nude mice presenting with hypercalcaemia.

Y Miyake 1, K Yamaguchi 1, S Honda 1, K Nagasaki 1, T Tsuchihashi 1, M Mori 1, S Kimura 1, K Abe 1
PMCID: PMC1971791  PMID: 1997102

Abstract

This study examined the pathophysiological role of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) in humoral hypercalcaemia of malignancy (HHM). Seven human tumour xenografts were analysed in nude mice; five tumours (KEsC-2, oesophageal carcinoma; FA-6, pancreatic carcinoma; SEKI, melanoma; Lu-65A and Lu-61, lung carcinomas) were associated with hypercalcaemia and two tumours (MIA PaCa-2, pancreatic carcinoma; PLC/PRF/5, hepatocellular carcinoma) with normocalcaemia. Northern blot analyses, radioimmunoassay and bioassay confirmed the synthesis of PTHrP-like peptides by all five tumours associated with hypercalcaemia, but not by the two associated with normocalcaemia. These observations indicated a very close relationship between the production of PTHrP and the development of HHM. Gel filtration studies of three tumour tissue extracts revealed at least two different molecules with both PTHrP-like immunological and biological activities. One peak eluted at a position between PTHrP (1-141) and cytochrome C and the other at a position identical to cytochrome C. These results suggest that PTHrP molecules with a molecular size equal to or greater than cytochrome C participate as causative agents of HHM. All five tumour xenografts caused hypercalcaemia when grown to a size of 1.5 g in nude mice. Under cell culture conditions, four original cell lines, KEsC-2, FA-6, SEKI and Lu-65A secreted 450.0, 45.0, 3.6 and 3.0 pmol of immunoreactive PTHrP/1.5 x 10(9) cells (approximately equivalent to 1.5 g wet weight) 24 h-1 into their respective culture media. Since a subcutaneous infusion of 100 pmol 24 h-1 of PTHrP (1-34) into nude mice was sufficient to induce significant hypercalcaemia, we speculate that PTHrP alone released from tumour cells could induce hypercalcaemia at least in the case of KEsC-2, and possibly in FA-6. With regard to other tumours associated with hypercalcaemia, further examination of PTHrP and other compounds with bone-resorbing activity in these transplantable tumours is required to obtain a better understanding of this morbidity.

Full text

PDF
255

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bringhurst F. R., Bierer B. E., Godeau F., Neyhard N., Varner V., Segre G. V. Humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy. Release of a prostaglandin-stimulating bone-resorbing factor in vitro by human transitional-cell carcinoma cells. J Clin Invest. 1986 Feb;77(2):456–464. doi: 10.1172/JCI112324. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Budayr A. A., Halloran B. P., King J. C., Diep D., Nissenson R. A., Strewler G. J. High levels of a parathyroid hormone-like protein in milk. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1989 Sep;86(18):7183–7185. doi: 10.1073/pnas.86.18.7183. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Budayr A. A., Nissenson R. A., Klein R. F., Pun K. K., Clark O. H., Diep D., Arnaud C. D., Strewler G. J. Increased serum levels of a parathyroid hormone-like protein in malignancy-associated hypercalcemia. Ann Intern Med. 1989 Nov 15;111(10):807–812. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-111-10-807. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Burtis W. J., Brady T. G., Orloff J. J., Ersbak J. B., Warrell R. P., Jr, Olson B. R., Wu T. L., Mitnick M. E., Broadus A. E., Stewart A. F. Immunochemical characterization of circulating parathyroid hormone-related protein in patients with humoral hypercalcemia of cancer. N Engl J Med. 1990 Apr 19;322(16):1106–1112. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199004193221603. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Burtis W. J., Wu T., Bunch C., Wysolmerski J. J., Insogna K. L., Weir E. C., Broadus A. E., Stewart A. F. Identification of a novel 17,000-dalton parathyroid hormone-like adenylate cyclase-stimulating protein from a tumor associated with humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy. J Biol Chem. 1987 May 25;262(15):7151–7156. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Gkonos P. J., Hayes T., Burtis W., Jacoby R., McGuire J., Baron R., Stewart A. F. Squamous carcinoma model of humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy. Endocrinology. 1984 Dec;115(6):2384–2390. doi: 10.1210/endo-115-6-2384. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Honda S., Yamaguchi K., Miyake Y., Hayashi N., Adachi N., Kinoshita K., Ikehara O., Kimura S., Kinoshita T., Shimotohno K. Production of parathyroid hormone-related protein in adult T-cell leukemia cells. Jpn J Cancer Res. 1988 Dec;79(12):1264–1268. doi: 10.1111/j.1349-7006.1988.tb01554.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Honda S., Yamaguchi K., Suzuki M., Sato Y., Adachi I., Kimura S., Abe K. Expression of parathyroid hormone-related protein mRNA in tumors obtained from patients with humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy. Jpn J Cancer Res. 1988 Jun;79(6):677–681. doi: 10.1111/j.1349-7006.1988.tb02221.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Imanishi K., Yamaguchi K., Suzuki M., Honda S., Yanaihara N., Abe K. Production of transforming growth factor-alpha in human tumour cell lines. Br J Cancer. 1989 May;59(5):761–765. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1989.159. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kukreja S. C., Shevrin D. H., Wimbiscus S. A., Ebeling P. R., Danks J. A., Rodda C. P., Wood W. I., Martin T. J. Antibodies to parathyroid hormone-related protein lower serum calcium in athymic mouse models of malignancy-associated hypercalcemia due to human tumors. J Clin Invest. 1988 Nov;82(5):1798–1802. doi: 10.1172/JCI113794. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Linkhart T. A., Mohan S., Jennings J. C., Baylink D. J. Copurification of osteolytic and transforming growth factor beta activities produced by human lung tumor cells associated with humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy. Cancer Res. 1989 Jan 15;49(2):271–278. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Mangin M., Webb A. C., Dreyer B. E., Posillico J. T., Ikeda K., Weir E. C., Stewart A. F., Bander N. H., Milstone L., Barton D. E. Identification of a cDNA encoding a parathyroid hormone-like peptide from a human tumor associated with humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1988 Jan;85(2):597–601. doi: 10.1073/pnas.85.2.597. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Maruno K., Yamaguchi K., Abe K., Suzuki M., Saijo N., Mishima Y., Yanaihara N., Shimosato Y. Immunoreactive gastrin-releasing peptide as a specific tumor marker in patients with small cell lung carcinoma. Cancer Res. 1989 Feb 1;49(3):629–632. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Mehdizadeh S., Alaghband-Zadeh J., Gusterson B., Arlot M., Bradbeer J. N., Loveridge N. Bone resorption and circulating PTH-like bioactivity in an animal model of hypercalcaemia of malignancy. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1989 Jun 30;161(3):1166–1171. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(89)91364-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Moseley J. M., Kubota M., Diefenbach-Jagger H., Wettenhall R. E., Kemp B. E., Suva L. J., Rodda C. P., Ebeling P. R., Hudson P. J., Zajac J. D. Parathyroid hormone-related protein purified from a human lung cancer cell line. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1987 Jul;84(14):5048–5052. doi: 10.1073/pnas.84.14.5048. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Mundy G. R. Hypercalcemia of malignancy revisited. J Clin Invest. 1988 Jul;82(1):1–6. doi: 10.1172/JCI113555. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Nagasaki K., Yamaguchi K., Miyake Y., Hayashi C., Honda S., Urakami K., Miki K., Kimura S., Watanabe T., Abe K. In vitro and in vivo antagonists against parathyroid hormone-related protein. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1989 Feb 15;158(3):1036–1042. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(89)92826-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Ovejera A. A., Houchens D. P., Barker A. D., Venditti J. M. Inactivity of DL-amygdalin against human breast and colon tumor xenografts in athymic (nude) mice. Cancer Treat Rep. 1978 Apr;62(4):576–578. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Sato K., Fujii Y., Ono M., Nomura H., Shizume K. Production of interleukin 1 alpha-like factor and colony-stimulating factor by a squamous cell carcinoma of the thyroid (T3M-5) derived from a patient with hypercalcemia and leukocytosis. Cancer Res. 1987 Dec 15;47(24 Pt 1):6474–6480. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Stewart A. F., Burtis W. J., Wu T., Goumas D., Broadus A. E. Two forms of parathyroid hormone-like adenylate cyclase-stimulating protein derived from tumors associated with humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy. J Bone Miner Res. 1987 Dec;2(6):587–593. doi: 10.1002/jbmr.5650020616. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Stewart A. F., Horst R., Deftos L. J., Cadman E. C., Lang R., Broadus A. E. Biochemical evaluation of patients with cancer-associated hypercalcemia: evidence for humoral and nonhumoral groups. N Engl J Med. 1980 Dec 11;303(24):1377–1383. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198012113032401. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Stewart A. F., Insogna K. L., Goltzman D., Broadus A. E. Identification of adenylate cyclase-stimulating activity and cytochemical glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase-stimulating activity in extracts of tumors from patients with humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1983 Mar;80(5):1454–1458. doi: 10.1073/pnas.80.5.1454. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Stewart A. F., Wu T., Goumas D., Burtis W. J., Broadus A. E. N-terminal amino acid sequence of two novel tumor-derived adenylate cyclase-stimulating proteins: identification of parathyroid hormone-like and parathyroid hormone-unlike domains. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1987 Jul 31;146(2):672–678. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(87)90581-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Strewler G. J., Stern P. H., Jacobs J. W., Eveloff J., Klein R. F., Leung S. C., Rosenblatt M., Nissenson R. A. Parathyroid hormonelike protein from human renal carcinoma cells. Structural and functional homology with parathyroid hormone. J Clin Invest. 1987 Dec;80(6):1803–1807. doi: 10.1172/JCI113275. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Suva L. J., Winslow G. A., Wettenhall R. E., Hammonds R. G., Moseley J. M., Diefenbach-Jagger H., Rodda C. P., Kemp B. E., Rodriguez H., Chen E. Y. A parathyroid hormone-related protein implicated in malignant hypercalcemia: cloning and expression. Science. 1987 Aug 21;237(4817):893–896. doi: 10.1126/science.3616618. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Tashjian A. H., Jr, Voelkel E. F., Lloyd W., Derynck R., Winkler M. E., Levine L. Actions of growth factors on plasma calcium. Epidermal growth factor and human transforming growth factor-alpha cause elevation of plasma calcium in mice. J Clin Invest. 1986 Nov;78(5):1405–1409. doi: 10.1172/JCI112728. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Weir E. C., Insogna K. L., Brownstein D. G., Bander N. H., Broadus A. E. In vitro adenylate cyclase-stimulating activity predicts the occurrence of humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy in nude mice. J Clin Invest. 1988 Mar;81(3):818–821. doi: 10.1172/JCI113389. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Cancer are provided here courtesy of Cancer Research UK

RESOURCES