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Smoking and stress, pancreatic cancer (PanCa) risk factors, stimulate nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) and catecholamines production respectively. NNK and catecholamine bind the β-adrenoceptors and induce PanCa cell proliferation; and we have previously suggested that β-adrenergic antagonists may suppress proliferation and invasion and stimulate apoptosis in PanCa. To clarify the mechanism of apoptosis induced by β₂-adrenergic antagonist, we hypothesize that blockage of the β₂-adrenoceptor could induce G₁/S phase arrest and apoptosis and Ras may be a key player in PanCa cells.

The β₁ and β₂-adrenoceptor proteins were detected on the cell surface of PanCa cells from pancreatic carcinoma specimen samples by immunohistochemistry. The β₂-adrenergic antagonist ICI118,551 …