MODULATION OF CELLULAR PROLIFERATION AND PRODUCTION OF PROSTATE-SPECIFIC ANTIGEN AND MATRIX ADHESION MOLECULES IN HUMAN PROSTATE CARCINOMA-CELLS BY POLYPEPTIDE GROWTH-FACTORS - COMPARATIVE ANALYSES OF MDA PCA2A WITH ESTABLISHED CELL-LINES

The cellular responses of a newly established and early-passage human prostate adenocarcinoma cell line, MDA PCa2a, to transforming growth f actor (TGF) beta 1, epidermal growth factor (EGF), and TGF alpha were characterized in terms of proliferation, production of prostate-specif ic antigen (PSA), fibronectin (FN) and laminin (LM). The responses of the MDA PCa2a cells were compared with those of the well-established h uman prostate carcinoma cell lines LNCaP, PC3, and DU145. The MDA PCa2 a cells were more responsive to the growth-inhibitory effect of TGF be ta 1 than the established cell lines. The androgen-responsive cell lin es (MDA PCa2a and LNCaP) were relatively responsive to the growth-stim ulatory effect of EGF and TGF alpha whereas the androgen-independent l ines (PC3 and DU145) were not. Only the androgen-responsive cells prod uced PSA, which was further upregulated by treatment with growth facto rs. The androgen-independent cells did not produce PSA, and growth fac tors had no effect on PSA production. However, all cell lines produced abundant amounts of FN and LM, and the levels of production of these molecules were subject to modulation by growth factors. It is conclude d that each growth factor elicits diverse and distinct responses in pr ostate carcinoma cells, which may reflect the involvement of diverse p ost-receptor signal pathways.