Advance of study on relationship between β-adrenoceptor and pancreatic cancer

β-adrenoceptor, whose subtypes β1- and β2-adrenoceptor are expressed on panreatic cancer cells, is closely related to the occurrence and development of pancreatic cancer. β-adrenoceptor agonists epirenamine, isopropylarterenol and the tobacco-specific nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1- (3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) induce pancreatic cancer proliferation. Research on the molecular mechanism is as follows: Activating β-receptor can stimulate protein kinase A (PKA)/arachidonic acid (AA) pathway in pancreatic cancer cells. NNK also stimulates mutation of Ras and the activation of Src tyrosine kinase and Ras, followed by activation of mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. β-adrenoceptor can make the epidermal growth factor (EGFR) pathway transactivated, and the EGFR and β-adrenergic signalling pathways might synergize to activate Src and Ras. Increased evidence suggests that patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma share many risk factors, such as smoking and chronic depression, with cardiovascular disease patients. Drugs to block β-adrenoceptor in cardiovascular diseases might be used for the prevention and treatment of pancreatic cancer.