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Blockage of Intermediate-Conductance Ca²⁺-Activated K⁺ Channels Inhibit Human Pancreatic Cancer Cell Growth in Vitro

Departments of Applied Physiology (H.J., T.D., S.G.), Pharmacology & Toxicology (K.G.), and Internal Medicine I (A.B., T.G.) University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany

Ion channels are important in controlling cell cycle progression and proliferation in a variety of cell types. Using the whole-cell recording mode of the patch-clamp technique, functional ion channels were electrophysiologically characterized in PANC-1 (K-ras G12D (+/-), p53 R273C, p16), BxPC-3 (smad4^-, p53 Y220C, p16), and MiaPaCa-2 [transforming growth factor- receptor type II defect, K-ras G12C(-/-), p53 R248W, p16] human pancreatic cancer cell lines. In BxPC-3 and the MiaPaCa-2 cells, we could identify 600 or 1200 functional Ca²⁺-activated K⁺ channels (IK) per cell, respectively, whereas PANC-1 cells expressed 200 functional IK channels per cell. These channels were observed by using pipette solutions buffering [Ca²⁺]_i to 1 µM. The channels were voltage-independent, blocked by charybdotoxin, clotrimazole, 1-[(2-chlorophenyl) diphenylmethyl]-1H-pyrazole (TRAM-34), and blocked by Ba²⁺ in a voltage-dependent manner. In the presence of 10 µM clotrimazole or TRAM-34, proliferation of the BxPC-3 as well as the MiaPaCa-2 cells was completely stopped. In contrast, proliferation of PANC-1 cells was hardly affected by clotrimazole or TRAM-34. Proliferation in all three cell lines could be inhibited in the presence of the Ca²⁺ channel antagonists verapamil, diltiazem, and nifedipine. By quantitative RT-PCR, we could show that MiaPaCa-2 cells exhibit a 2.8-fold and BxPC3 cells a more than 8-fold elevated level of IK mRNA level compared with PANC-1 cells. Interestingly, in primary pancreatic tumors we found a tremendous up-regulation of IK mRNA. In eight of nine (or 89%) primary pancreatic tumor tissues, we found a 6- to 66-fold increase in IK mRNA. Our findings suggest that a certain amount of functional IK channels is crucial for the proliferation of some pancreatic cancer types. The blockade of IK channels may ultimately prove useful as a therapeutic option for some patients with ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas with an up-regulated IK channel expression.

Address correspondence to: Dr. Stephan Grissmer, Department of Applied Physiology, University Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany. E-mail: stephan.grissmer{at}medizin.uni-ulm.de

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