Background: Stilbenes are phenolic compounds present in grapes and blueberries. Resveratrol, a naturally occurring compound present in grapes, has been shown to have potent antioxidant properties as well as an ability to induce apoptosis. Resveratrol has also been reported to have significant inhibitory effects against a variety of primary tumors including breast, colon, and prostate. Pterostilbene, a naturally occurring analogue of resveratrol found in blueberries, also has antioxidant and antiproliferative properties. These effects have not been studied in pancreatic cancer. We hypothesized that pterostilbene would inhibit pancreatic cancer cell growth in vitro.
Methods: Two pancreatic cancer cell lines (MIAPACA and PANC1) were cultured using standard techniques. Cells were treated with graduated doses of pterostilbene ranging from 10 to 100 μM. Cell viability was measured by MTT at 24, 48, and 72 hours.
Results: Pterostilbene decreases cell viability in both cancer cell lines in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Higher doses (75-100 μM) caused a significant reduction in cell viability at 24 and 48 hours. However, by 72 hours all tested concentrations of pterostilbene (10 to 100 μM) resulted in significantly reduced cell viability in both pancreatic cancer cell lines in a dose dependent fashion. Inhibition was slightly greater in PANC1 cells. Pterostilbene caused a dose-dependent 10 - 63% inhibition in MIAPACA cells and 10-75% inhibition in PANC1 cells.
Conclusions: Pterostilbene inhibits the growth of pancreatic cancer in vitro. Further in vitro mechanistic studies and in vivo experiments are warranted to determine its potential for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.