Korean J Urol.  2006 Jul;47(7):786-790. 10.4111/kju.2006.47.7.786.

Effects of Granulocyte Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF) on the Interleukin-6 Expression in the Prostate Cancer Cell Line PC-3

• Kang GH
• Myung SC
• Kim TH
• Oh SY
• Won EH
• Kim SC
• Kim WS
• Kim YS

• KMID: 2294323
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4111/kju.2006.47.7.786

Abstract

PURPOSE: Interleukin-6 (IL-6) can stimulate a variety of tumors including prostatic carcinoma. Research has recently shown that IL-6 may act to stimulate the progression of prostatic cancer. IL-6 is elevated in the sera of patients with metastatic prostatic cancer and it has been shown to be a candidate marker of disease activity. To date, little work has been performed to characterize the nature of granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and the expression of IL-6. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of GM-CSF on the expression of IL-6 in PC-3 cells.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The bone-derived PC-3 cell line was used in this study. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to detect the GM-CSF and also the IL-6 mRNA expression. The IL-6 protein was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) after treatments with the hGM-CSF.
RESULTS
hGM-CSF was expressed in the PC-3 cell line. Our data indicated that the IL-6 mRNA expression was not increased at 4, 8 and 12 hours by the hGM-CSF in comparison to the control group, but it was slightly increased at 24 and 48 hours. The expression of IL-6 protein was increased at 4, 8, 12, 24 and 48 hours after hGM-CSF treatment, in comparison with the control group.
CONCLUSIONS
The IL-6 mRNA expression was slightly increased by hGM-CSF at 24 and 48 hours in comparison to the control group. Yet the IL-6 protein expression increased before the IL-6 mRNA expression. Therefore, hGM-CSF may modulate the post-transcription pathway of the IL-6 expression in prostate carcinoma cells. Our data suggest that GM-CSF may have a possible IL-6 mediated pathophysiologic role in prostate cancer.

Keyword

Prostate cancer; Interleukin-6; Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor

MeSH Terms

Cell Line*
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor
Granulocytes*
Humans
Interleukin-6*
Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor*
Macrophages*
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Prostate*
Prostatic Neoplasms*
Reverse Transcription
RNA, Messenger
Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor
Interleukin-6
Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor
RNA, Messenger

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 hGM-CSF* expression in PC-3. *hGM-CSF: human granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor.

• 

  Fig. 2 Time course of the IL-6mRNA expression in PC-3 cells. The PC-3 cells were treated with hGM-CSF for the indicated times. The IL-6mRNA expression is not increased at 4, 8 and 12 hours, but the IL-6mRNA expression is increased at 24 and 48 hours. *IL-6: interleukin-6, †GAPDH: glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase.

• 

  Fig. 3 The averages of the interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentrations (ng/ml) and their standard deviation for the incubation periods as determined by ELISA. The IL-6 protein expression is significantly increased at 4, 8, 12, 24 and 48 hours after hGM-CSF treatment compared with the control group. *: p<0.05.

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