Korean J Urol.  1999 Aug;40(8):979-984.

Effects of Various Growth Factors on the Growth and PSA Secretion of the Androgen-dependent LNCaP Prostate Cancer Cell Line

• Rhee HW
• Kang SH
• Han CH

Abstract

PURPOSE: The growth and PSA secretion of prostate carcinoma is predominantly regulated by androgens. However, locally produced growth factors(GFs) also have been shown to play a crucial role in the proliferation of androgen-dependent prostatic tumor cells. Androgen has been proposed to stimulate the cell proliferation and PSA secretion by modulating the activity of some of these growth factors. The objectives of this study are to determine the effects of various GFs (epidermal growth factor; EGF, basic fibroblast growth factor; bFGF, keratinocyte growth factor; KGF, hepatocyte growth factor; HGF) on the growth and PSA secretion of androgen-dependent LNCaP prostate cancer cell line.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
To determine the effects of EGF, bFGF, KGF and HGF on the growth and PSA secretion of LNCaP, LNCaP cells at a concentration of 3 x 103 cells/well, suspended in T-medium containing 2% TCM, were seeded in 96 well plates. Cells were exposed to six different concentrations (0.5, 1, 5, 10, 20 and 40 ng/ml) of GFs. Cell numbers were evaluated by crystal violet assay on day 3, 5 and 7, and PSA concentrations in conditioned medium were determined on day 5.
RESULTS
EGF and HGF had minimal, not significant, stimulatory effects on the growth of LNCaP. However, bFGF and KGF had significant growth stimulatory effects (P<0.05). EGF, bFGF, KGF and HGF did not have any stimulatory effects on the PSA secretion of androgen-dependent LNCaP cell line.
CONCLUSIONS
bFGF and KGF, not EGF and HGF, directly stimulate the growth of LNCaP cells. However, bFGF and KGF as well as EGF and HGF do not affect the PSA secretion of LNCaP. There seems to be another signal transduction pathway, which is not associated with GFs mentioned above, for PSA secretion of androgen-dependent LNCaP cell line.

Keyword

Growth factor; LNCaP; PSA secretion

MeSH Terms

Androgens
Cell Count
Cell Line*
Cell Proliferation
Culture Media, Conditioned
Epidermal Growth Factor
Fibroblast Growth Factor 2
Fibroblast Growth Factor 7
Gentian Violet
Hepatocyte Growth Factor
Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins*
Prostate*
Prostatic Neoplasms*
Signal Transduction
Androgens
Culture Media, Conditioned
Epidermal Growth Factor
Fibroblast Growth Factor 2
Fibroblast Growth Factor 7
Gentian Violet
Hepatocyte Growth Factor
Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins