ROLE OF CHOLECYSTOKININ IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF BOP-INDUCED PANCREATIC LESIONS IN HAMSTERS

Cholecystokinin (CCK) has been shown to promote pancreatic growth and azaserine-induced pancreatic carcinogenesis in rats. The present study was carried out to determine effects of CCK on pancreatic growth and carcinogenesis in the N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine (BOP) hamster model. One hundred male Syrian golden hamsters were injected s.c. once weekly with 20 mg BOP/kg body wt at 6, 7 and 8 weeks of age, and divided into four groups of 25 animals each, which received one of the following treatments (once daily, 3 days/week for 16 weeks): gelatin; CR-1409, a potent CCK-receptor antagonist; CCK-8, 2.5 mu-g/kg body wt; or CCK-8 in combination with CR-1409 (30 min before CCK treatment). The animals were killed after 19 weeks. The growth of the pancreas but not the incidence of pancreatic (pre)neoplastic lesions was enhanced by CCK-8. CR-1409 did not influence the effect of CCK on pancreatic growth.