Androgen receptor functioned as a suppressor in the prostate cancer cell line PC3 in vitro and in vivo.
BACKGROUND
Prostate cancer is one of the most common urogenital tumors in the world with an increasing incidence in China. Androgen deprivation therapy is the major therapeutic option for advanced prostate cancer. However, the role of androgen receptor (AR) in hormone-refractory prostate cancer still remains unclear. This work aimed to investigate the role of AR in an androgen independent prostate cancer cell line by in vitro and in vivo studies.


METHODS
The role of AR in the proliferation and invasion/metastasis ability of PC3-AR9 (a PC3 stable clone expressing human AR driven by natural human AR promoter) were examined with MTT assay, soft agar assay, chamber invasion assay, wound healing assay, and also with orthotopic xenograft mouse model.


RESULTS
Restoring androgen receptor in PC3 cells resulted in decreased proliferation and invasion/metastasis ability in MTT, soft agar, chamber invasion and wound healing assay. In the mouse orthotopic xenograft model, PC3-AR9 resulted in smaller primary tumors and metastasis tumors, with a lower proliferation rate and higher apoptosis rate.


CONCLUSIONS
The AR might function as a tumor suppressor in PC3 cells both in vitro and in vivo.
Yu
Sheng-qiang
SQ
Department of Urology, First People's Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
Han
Bang-min
BM
Shao
Yi
Y
Wu
Ji-tao
JT
Zhao
Fu-jun
FJ
Liu
Hai-tao
HT
Sun
Xiao-wen
XW
Tang
Yue-qing
YQ
Xia
Shu-jie
SJ
D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000502:physiology*
C410798:AR protein, human; D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins