[The influence of neuroendocrine differentiation on the growth and androgen receptor expression of prostate carcinoma cells].

OBJECTIVE: To study the paracrine effect of the neuroendocrine differentiation cells and its influence on androgen receptor expression of prostate carcinoma cells.

METHODS: Established an in vitro induced model of neuroendocrine differentiation of prostate carcinoma (LNCaP(NE), PC-3M(NE)), and investigate the proliferation effect of neuroendocrine phenotype cells (LNCaP(NE), PC-3M(NE)) on other non-neuroendocrine phenotype cells (LNCaP, PC-3M) by feeding non-neuroendocrine phenotype cells with the medium pre-incubated with induced neuroendocrine phenotype cells. It was also tested the regulation of androgen receptor mRNA and androgen receptor protein expression of LNCaP(NE) cells on LNCaP cells by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and Western Blot in the presence or absence of androgens.

RESULTS: The medium pre-incubated with PC-3M(NE) cells could promote the proliferation of PC-3M cells. The medium pre-incubated with LNCaP(NE) cells could promote the proliferation of LNCaP cells, and reduce the expression of androgen receptor in the latter in the absence of androgens, but the negative results were observed in the presence of androgens.

CONCLUSIONS: The neuroendocrine phenotype cells of prostate cancer can reduce the expression of androgen receptor in prostate cancer cells and promote them to proliferate by means of paracrine in the blockade of androgens.