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Effect of selective estrogen receptor modulators on cell proliferation and estrogen receptor activities in normal human prostate stromal and epithelial cells

Abstract

We examined the effect of E2 and selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) on the proliferation and estrogen receptor (ER) activities in normal human prostate cells. SERMs such as toremifene, raloxifene and tamoxifen suppressed the proliferation of prostate epithelial and stromal cells whereas anti-androgens did not. In prostate stromal cells, the transactivation activities of ER were enhanced by adding E2 and reduced remarkably by toremifene. The results indicate that the ER-mediated pathway plays a central role in the growth of normal prostate cells.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr Shigeaki Kato, Tokyo University, for providing us with pGL3-ERE-X3tK luc (pERE-luc). We also thank Nippon Kayaku Corp. (Tokyo, Japan) for flutamide and toremifene. This work was supported in part by grants from Osaka City University Medical Research Foundation.

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Correspondence to H Kawashima.

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Nomura, H., Kawashima, H., Masaki, S. et al. Effect of selective estrogen receptor modulators on cell proliferation and estrogen receptor activities in normal human prostate stromal and epithelial cells. Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis 12, 375–381 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/pcan.2009.20

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