1. ¹Solent Urology Department, St Mary's Hospital, Portsmouth, UK
2. ²University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
3. ³Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust, Southampton, UK
4. ⁴University Department of Urology, Southampton University Hospitals, Southampton, UK

Correspondence: GH Delves, Solent Urology Department, St Mary's Hospital, Portsmouth PO3 6AD, UK. E-mail: georgedelves@doctors.org.uk

Received 20 July 2004; Revised 15 November 2004; Accepted 6 January 2005; Published online 1 March 2005.

Abstract

Prostasomes are biologically active organelles that are secreted by human prostate epithelial cells, and it is believed that they have a role in prostatic disease. We studied the effect of prostasomes on the human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC)/Matrigel model of angiogenesis, and the association of labelled prostasomes with HUVECs. The growth inhibitory effect of prostasomes on HUVECs was assayed by spectrophotometric measurement of residual biomass. Preparations of HUVECs on a Matrigel base were exposed to prostasomes, and the development of capillary-like networks was quantified. Prostasomes were labelled with PKH-26, and cultured with HUVECs. Prostasomes were not shown to have a significant effect on HUVEC survival. Angiogenesis assays showed inhibition. The PKH-26-labelled particles were shown to have adhered to the HUVECs. This study adds the inhibition of an in vitro correlate of angiogenesis to the known actions of prostasomes.