We previously reported that gastrin (G17) inhibits apoptosis of AR4-2J pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells, through the activation of Akt. We dissected the mechanisms responsible for this effect. D2, a CCKB receptor antagonist, inhibited G17 induction of Akt phosphorylation, measured by Western blots with anti-phospho-Akt antibodies. The intracellular calcium chelator BAPTA-AM, but not the PKC inhibitor GF 109203X, blocked G17 induction of Akt. G17 stimulated BAD phosphorylation, measured by both Western blots with anti-phospho-BAD antibodies and by in vitro Akt kinase assays using recombinant BAD as substrate. G17 also induced FOXO3 phosphorylation assessed by Western blots with anti-phospho-FOXO3 antibodies, and BAPTA-AM inhibited this effect. Gastrin inhibited luciferase activity in cells transfected with FOXO1 together with a vector containing insulin-responsive sequences upstream of the luciferase reporter gene. In conclusion, G17 induces Akt through activation of CCKB receptors and of intracellular calcium-dependent, PKC- independent, pathways. This effect leads to BAD phosphorylation and to forkhead transcription factors inactivation. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.