To investigate the effect of CD133 on pancreatic carcinoma induced by transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-β1).

The pancreatic cancer cells were randomly divided into the control group and experimental group in AsPc-1, Panc-1 and SW1990, respectively. The control group received 10 μl CD133 antibody and 90 μl phosphate buffered saline (PBS), and the experimental group were given 10 μg/L TGF-β1 and 90 μl PBS. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) was used to evaluate CD133 positive rate. The magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) was used to sort CD133 negative cells, then CD133 negative cells were randomly divided into the Blank group, T group and T + I group in the AsPc-1, Panc-1 and SW1990, respectively. The T + I group were given 10 μg/L TGF-β1 and 10 μmol/L TGF-β1 inhibitors, Blank group only received the same amount of PBS, and the T group received 10 μg/L TGF-β1 and the same amount of TGF-β1 inhibitors. CD133 positive rate was evaluated by FACS again after the treatment of TGF-β1 and its inhibitor.

CD133 positive rates of AsPc-1 [(1.63 ± 0.21)% vs. (0.63 ± 0.12)%, t = 7.276, P = 0.002], Panc-1 [(3.48 ± 1.26)% vs. (0.66 ± 0.22)%, t = 4.924, P = 0.001] and SW1990 [(3.83 ± 0.71)% vs. (0.90 ± 0.44)%, t = 6.102, P = 0.004] in the experimental group were much higher than those in the control group. Moreover, CD133 negative cells sorted by MACS were also changed to positive, and the CD133 positive rates of AsPc-1[(1.70 ± 0.66)%, (0.50 ± 0.00)%, (0.64 ± 0.21)%], Panc-1[(1.45 ± 0.53)%, (0.50 ± 0.00)%, (0.42 ± 0.17)%] and SW1990 [(1.68 ± 1.26)%, (0.50 ± 0.00)%, (0.62 ± 0.11)%] in the T group increased dramatically as compared with those in the Blank group and T + I group (all P< 0.05).

TGF-β1 can enable pancreatic cancer cells to acquire cancer stem cell's features and this phenomenon can be suppressed by the inhibitors.