title: Neuroendocrine peptides stimulate adenyl cyclase in normal and malignant prostate cells.
abstract: Elevations of intracellular cAMP in human prostate cancer cells have been shown to increase invasiveness and to promote neuronal differentiation. Since neuroendocrine peptides capable of activating adenyl cyclase are present in prostatic nerves and epithelial neuroendocrine cells, we investigated normal and malignant human prostate cells for changes in intracellular cAMP in response to the prostatic peptides vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), calcitonin (CT), and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Normal prostate epithelial cells and LNCaP prostate cancer cells exhibited, respectively, 6- and 30-fold increases in intracellular cAMP in response to VIP. ALVA-31 and PPC-1 prostate cancer cells demonstrated 20- to 200-fold increases in cAMP in response to CGRP, while normal epithelial cells and LNCaP cells exhibited smaller (2- to 6-fold) responses. Only DU-145 cells increased cAMP substantially in response to CT. VIP receptor mRNA was identified by Northern blot analysis only in those cells that responded to VIP. CT receptor mRNA was identified only in DU-145 cells by polymerase chain reaction and Southern blot analysis. These results suggest that VIP and possibly CGRP receptors are likely to be present in both normal and malignant prostate cells. VIP or CGRP may regulate secretion of proteases by normal or prostate cancer cells and may influence epithelial cell differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Miami VA Medical Center, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, University of Miami School of Medicine, P.O. Box 016960 (D-503), Miami, FL 33101, USA.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Gkonos
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Lokeshwar
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Balkan
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Roos
mesh_terms: D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases / Q000378:metabolism*; D002116:Calcitonin / Q000494:pharmacology; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000494:pharmacology; D002460:Cell Line; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000502:physiology; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D009479:Neuropeptides; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D002116:Calcitonin; D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide