title: Inhibitory effect of dexamethasone and progesterone in vitro on proliferation of human renal cell carcinomas and effects on expression of interleukin-6 or interleukin-6 receptor.
abstract: Interleukin-6 (IL-6) has been suggested as an autocrine growth factor of human renal cell carcinomas. Since steroids are known to inhibit IL-6 gene expression, we investigated their effects on the growth of renal cell carcinoma. Dexamethasone inhibited proliferation of 2 of 4 renal cell carcinoma cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. In one of these 2 cell lines, IL-6 gene expression was also inhibited, but not in the other. The inhibitory effect of dexamethasone on cell proliferation was not reversed by the exogenous IL-6. In 1 of the 2 remaining cell lines, the inhibition of IL-6 gene expression was observed, although there was no inhibition of cell proliferation. Thus, inhibition of growth by dexamethasone did not correlate with an inhibitory action of dexamethasone on IL-6 mRNA expression. Progesterone inhibited the growth of 1 cell line without concomitant inhibition of IL-6 gene expression. Expression of IL-6 receptor mRNA was not altered. A dose-dependent increase in mRNA expression of gp130, the transducer of IL-6 signal, was induced by dexamethasone and progesterone in 2 and 1 of the 4 cell lines, respectively. These data suggest that, in some renal cell carcinomas, steroids may inhibit cell proliferation by a mechanism independent of their effects on mRNA expression of IL-6 and IL-6 receptors. Dexamethasone may be useful, not only for palliation of paraneoplastic syndrome caused by overproduction of IL-6, but also for inhibition of growth of renal cell carcinomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University, Japan.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Takenawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kaneko
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okumura
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fujita
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D050822:Cytokine Receptor gp130; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; C494199:IL6ST protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6; D050822:Cytokine Receptor gp130; D011374:Progesterone; D003907:Dexamethasone