title: Enhancement of the expression of urokinase-type plasminogen activator from PC-3 human prostate cancer cells by thrombin.
abstract: The presence of procoagulants and fibrin deposition have been demonstrated in malignant tumors. Although thrombin, a key enzyme in coagulation, has other various biological functions, the significance of its presence in tumors is not known. We studied the effects of thrombin on the expression of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) which is known to play a role in tumor invasion, using a human prostate cancer cell line PC-3. Human alpha-thrombin added to cultures of PC-3 produced a dose-dependent and time-dependent increased secretion of uPA that was greatest at 3-6 h after exposure to thrombin. Increase in uPA antigen paralleled the increase in mRNA level, which reached a maximum at 4 h. Thrombin showed the maximum effect on uPA expression at a concentration 1-2 units/ml. Zymography showed that transient exposure to thrombin induced an increase in fibrinolytic activity which could be quenched by anti-uPA antibody. The thrombin receptor-activating peptide also caused an increase in uPA protein and mRNA level, indicating the presence of the same thrombin specific receptor on PC-3 cells as on platelets and endothelial cells. Thrombin did not affect the expression of other components of the plasminogen activation system, tissue-type plasminogen activator and type-1 plasminogen activator inhibitor, and uPA receptor. These results indicate that thrombin increases uPA expression selectively by the stimulation of a functional thrombin receptor on PC-3 cells. Since uPA is known to play a role in pericellular proteolysis of extracellular matrix, thrombin may be involved in the regulation of tumor invasion and metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60611.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: E N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Verrusio
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mihara
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kwaan
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D018179:Receptors, Thrombin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D013917:Thrombin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D018179:Receptors, Thrombin; C072032:thrombin receptor peptide (42-55); D013917:Thrombin; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator