The Effects of Adiponectin and Leptin in the Proliferation of Prostate Cancer Cells

Lee, Seo Yeon; Park, Se Jun; Jang, In Ho; Myung, Soon Chul; Kim, Tae Hyoung

Abstract

PURPOSE: With the westernization of dietary life, domestic prostate cancer prevalence has remarkably increased recently. Therefore, to examine the effects of obesity on prostate cancer, we analyzed the effects of leptin and adiponectin, which are the cytokines secreted from adipocytes, on prostate cancer in vitro and confirmed the results by in vivo experiment.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
In vitro, the human androgen-independent prostate cancer cell line DU-145 was exposed to various concentrations of adiponectin and leptin, and their effects were measured with the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. In vivo, the effects of tumor growth were observed in xenografted nude mice with prostate cancer.
RESULTS
Adiponectin significantly repressed DU-145 cell growth in a dose-dependent manner. Leptin promoted DU-145 cell growth in dose-dependent manner, but it was not significant statistically. In vivo, adiponectin-treated mice demonstrated a reduced tumor volume, although it was not significant statistically. By contrast, leptin-treated mice showed a significantly increased tumor volume (p<0.01).
CONCLUSIONS
The in vitro and in vivo finding suggested that adiponectin suppresses the proliferation of prostate cancer cells and that leptin plays an important role in the proliferation of prostate cancer cells. We suggest that adiponectin and leptin have a relation to the progression of prostate cancer in the obese population.