Establishment of a prostatic small-cell carcinoma cell line (SO-MI).
BACKGROUND
Prostatic small-cell carcinoma is an extremely rare, highly aggressive disease. We established a cell line from this tumor.


METHODS
Tumor tissue obtained from a 24-year-old Japanese man was used to establish the cell line. Cultured cells and tumors transplanted into nude mice were characterized by histologic, immunohistologic, immunocytologic, and molecular biologic methods.


RESULTS
An immortal culture cell line (SO-MI) was successfully established. SO-MI cells adhered weakly to plastic surfaces in vitro, showing a 52- to 72-hr doubling time. SO-MI cells were heterotopically and orthotopically transplantable in nude mice. The cells were immunoreactive for NSE, chromogranin A, and NCAM, but not for ACTH, calcitonin, serotonin, gastrin, insulin, glucagons, LCA, EMA, PAP, PSA, androgen receptor, and p53. SO-MI cells secreted NSE in vitro and in vivo. SO-MI cells at passage 30 contained 50-59 chromosomes with a modal number of 55. PCR suggested that the p53 gene was deleted in SO-MI cells. RT-PCR detected no mRNA encoding androgen receptor in these cells.


CONCLUSIONS
SO-MI cells retain the neuroendocrine nature of the original tumor, and should be useful in studying possible etiologies and new treatments.
Okada
Hiroshi
H
The Division of Urology, Department of Organs Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0017, Japan. okada@med.kobe-u.ac.jp
Shirakawa
Toshiro
T
Miyake
Hideaki
H
Gotoh
Akinobu
A
Fujisawa
Masato
M
Arakawa
Soichi
S
Kamidono
Sadao
S
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D016158:Genes, p53; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011944:Receptors, Androgen