Androgenic and antiandrogenic control on epidermal growth factor, epidermal growth factor receptor, and androgen receptor expression in human prostate cancer cell line LNCaP

Prostate. 1995 Jun;26(6):290-8. doi: 10.1002/pros.2990260604.

Abstract

Both androgen and antiandrogen treatments enhance the proliferation rate of the hormone-dependent prostate cancer cell line LNCaP, expressing a mutated androgen receptor (AR). We studied the modification of the expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF), of its receptor (EGF-R), and of androgen receptor (AR) in the LNCaP cell line, under basal conditions and during androgen (R1881) and antiandrogen hydroxy-flutamide (OH-FLU) treatment. After prolonged R1881 administration, a marked increase of EGF release was observed, completely blocked by the addition of OH-FLU. The Scatchard plot analysis of EGF-R binding revealed two classes of binding sites with high and low affinity. The administration of OH-FLU alone or combined with R1881 did not modify the affinity constants, while the low-affinity component disappeared after androgen administration. Both androgen and antiandrogen administration led to a significant increase of the EGF-R high-affinity component. AR mRNA and protein levels were downregulated by R1881 treatment. Following OH-FLU administration, AR mRNA was slightly downregulated, and there was not a strict parallelism between AR mRNA levels and AR binding capacity. When combined with R1881, OH-FLU partially counteracted the androgen-induced AR downregulation. Our data show that EGF-R binding capacity is the only parameter constantly raised in cell proliferation with respect to quiescent cells, and highlights the nonunivocal action of OH-FLU on androgen-induced effects.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Androgen Antagonists / pharmacology
  • Blotting, Northern
  • Down-Regulation / drug effects
  • Epidermal Growth Factor / biosynthesis*
  • Epidermal Growth Factor / drug effects
  • ErbB Receptors / biosynthesis*
  • ErbB Receptors / drug effects
  • Flutamide / analogs & derivatives*
  • Flutamide / pharmacology
  • Gene Expression / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Metribolone / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Metribolone / pharmacology*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Protein Binding
  • RNA, Messenger / analysis
  • Radioimmunoassay
  • Receptors, Androgen / biosynthesis*
  • Receptors, Androgen / drug effects
  • Time Factors
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

  • Androgen Antagonists
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Receptors, Androgen
  • Metribolone
  • hydroxyflutamide
  • Epidermal Growth Factor
  • Flutamide
  • ErbB Receptors