Effect of chromogranin A (pancreastatin) fragment on invasion of prostate cancer cells

We investigated the effect of chromogranin A (pancreastatin) fragment on th e invasion of PC-3, DU-145 and LNCaP prostate cancer cells through a recons tituted basement membrane (Matrigel) using a Transwell cell culture chamber assay. Chromogranin A fragment increased the invasive capacity of both PC- 3 and DU-145 cells, whereas it had no significant effect of LNCaP cells. Ch romogranin A fragment also increased the haptotactic migration of both PC-3 and DU-145 cells to fibronectin. Furthermore chromogranin A fragment incre ased the frbrinolytic activities of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u -PA) in fibrin zymograms of both PC-3 and DU-145 cells and the expression o f u-PA mRNA of PC-3 cells. However, the growth of these tumor cells was not affected by chromogranin A fragment at any concentrations used in this stu dy. These results indicate that chromogranin A fragment increased the invas ive potential of both PC-3 and DU-145 cells probably through enhancement of cell motility and the production of u-PA. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Irelan d Ltd. All rights reserved.