EFFECTS OF THE LIPIDOSTEROLIC EXTRACT OF SERENOA REPENS (PERMIXON(R))ON HUMAN PROSTATIC CELL-LINES

BACKGROUND. Permixon(R) is a drug used in the treatment of benign pros tatic hyperplasia. We studied its androgenic and antiandrogenic effect s in the prostatic cell lines LNCaP and PC3, respectively responsive a nd unresponsive to androgen stimulation. METHODS. We performed FACScan analysis to investigate toxicity, H-3 thymidine and S-35 methionine i ncorporation to determine antiproliferative and metabolic effects, ele ctron microscopy to study ultrastructural changes and cotransfection e xperiments to elucidate the role of wild type androgen receptor. RESUL TS. In LNCaP cell line, Permixon(R) induced a double proliferative/dif ferentiative effect, not observed in PC3 cells. In PC3 cells cotransfe cted with wild-type androgen receptors and CAT reporter genes under th e control of a androgen responsive element, the drug inhibited androge n-induced CAT transcription. CONCLUSIONS. Our data indicate a role of the androgen receptor in mediating the effects of Permixon(R) in LNCaP cells. Cotransfection experiments in PC3 cells support a clear antian drogenic action of the drug. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.