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Androgen decreases osteoprotegerin expression in prostate cancer cells

Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases volume 10, pages 160–166 (2007)Cite this article

An Erratum to this article was published on 13 May 2008

Abstract

Osteoprotegerin (OPG), a key regulator of bone resorption, is hypothesized to have a role in prostate cancer (CaP) bone metastasis. As advanced CaP is treated by androgen ablation, we examined if androgen modulates OPG expression by CaP cell lines in vitro. Basal levels of secreted OPG protein were significantly greater in androgen-independent PC-3 cells compared with androgen-responsive LNCaP-FGC cells (P<0.001); OPG was not detected in the androgen-responsive CaP cell lines LAPC-4 or DuCaP. Treatment with 5α-dihydrotestosterone (5α-DHT) significantly decreased OPG protein levels in both PC-3 and LNCaP-FGC, with maximal suppression using 10−9–10−7 M 5α-DHT in PC-3 (P<0.01; day 3), and using 10−10–10−9 M 5α-DHT in LNCaP-FGC cells (P<0.01; day 6). OPG messenger RNA levels were not significantly altered by this 5α-DHT treatment. Co-treatment with 10−6 M flutamide blocked 5α-DHT inhibition of OPG protein expression in LNCaP-FGC cells. These data suggest that androgen may modulate OPG protein levels in CaP cells lines in vitro using a post-transcriptional mechanism.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr Barbara Szymanska and Elizabeth Kingsley for their excellent technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oncology Research Centre, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia

    K Vandyke, P Jackson, A Rowe, P J Russell & J M Blair

  2. Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia

    K Vandyke, P Jackson, A Rowe, P J Russell & J M Blair

  3. School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia

    K Vandyke

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  1. K Vandyke
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Correspondence to J M Blair.

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Vandyke, K., Jackson, P., Rowe, A. et al. Androgen decreases osteoprotegerin expression in prostate cancer cells. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 10, 160–166 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.pcan.4500927

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