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Androgen‐independent epithelial cells of the rat ventral prostate
Author(s) -
Montpetit M.,
Abrahams P.,
Clark A. F.,
Tenniswood M.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
the prostate
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.295
H-Index - 123
eISSN - 1097-0045
pISSN - 0270-4137
DOI - 10.1002/pros.2990120104
Subject(s) - androgen , testosterone (patch) , endocrinology , prostate , dihydrotestosterone , medicine , biology , cell culture , microbiology and biotechnology , hormone , cancer , genetics
Androgen‐independent cell lines have been clonally selected from primary cultures of androgen‐dependent epithelial cells from the rat ventral prostate. These rapidly dividing epithelial‐like cells (RDE) have altered morphology and adherence characteristics. Unlike normal prostate epithelial cells, the RDE cell lines do not require androgens for cell division or cell survival. In the presence of physiological concentrations of testosterone, the isoelectric focusing patterns of prostatic acid phosphatases are abnormal in these RDE cells, and the prostate steroid‐binding protein genes are not expressed. The loss of androgen dependence is not due to the inability of RDE cells to metabolize testosterone to 5α‐dihydrotestosterone, the active androgen, since the RDE cell lines metabolize testosterone in a manner similar to normal androgen‐dependent epithelial cells. When RDE cells are grown on collagen matrices, the cells assume ductlike structures, similar to prostatic acini, although PSBP gene expression is not induced. When seeded into soft agar these cell lines form distinct foci, suggesting that they are potentially tumorigenic.