Figure 1

COX-2 expression in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumour tissue from pancreatic cancer and isolated pancreatic stellate cells. A. Immunohistochemistry of COX-2 expression in tumour tissue from pancreatic cancer. COX-2 positive cells - red colour, fibrotic stroma αSMA positive - brown colour. B. Immunofluorescence of COX-2 expression in tumour tissue from pancreatic cancer. COX-2 positive cells - red colour, stroma αSMA positive - green colour. C. Immunofluorescence staining of cultured pancreatic stellate cells, passage five; COX-2 positive cells - red colour, αSMA positive cells - green colour, nucleus -blue colour. D. Expression of COX-2 and αSMA in different cell passage numbers. E. Expression of EP2 receptors, TGFβ receptors and PDGF receptors in two different cell passages F. Induction of COX-2 protein by EGF (10 nM), TGFβ (10 ng/ml), PGE₂ (10 uM), and PDGF (10 ng/ml) in two different cell passages. Cells in serum-free medium were stimulated with agonists for 24 hours before cells were harvested and lysates examined by Western blots as described in Methods. Results are from one representative experiment of four. G. Concentration dependent induction of COX-2 protein by IL-1β. Cells were stimulated in serum-free medium for 24 hours. Results are from one typical experiment of three.