Lycopene increases urokinase receptor and fails to inhibit growth or connexin expression in a metastatically passaged prostate cancer cell line: a brief communication

Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2003 Sep;228(8):967-71. doi: 10.1177/153537020322800813.

Abstract

The carotenoid lycopene, found in tomatoes, has been associated with decreasing prostate cancer risk. Potential mechanisms for this risk reduction include lycopene's status as a potent antioxidant, its inhibitory effect on cell proliferation, and its ability to increase intercellular gap junctional communication. Presently, in the United States, almost 200,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer and approximately 30,000 succumb to its metastatic effects. Therefore, novel treatment strategies are needed for patients who currently have the disease, especially those in advanced, i.e., metastatic status. In this study, we sought to determine if lycopene's inhibitory properties on premalignancy could be extended to advanced prostate cancer by assessing effects on a cell line derived through metastatic passage, the PC-3MM2. We report that in this cell line, lycopene has a potentially unwanted effect of upregulating expression of the urokinase plasminogen activator receptor and facilitating invasion while failing to significantly inhibit proliferation or to induce detectable levels of the gap junctional protein connexin 43 expression. Our results indicate that some caution should be taken with regard to use of lycopene to treat potentially advanced and metastatic prostate cancers.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Anticarcinogenic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Carotenoids / pharmacology*
  • Cell Division / drug effects
  • Connexin 43 / biosynthesis
  • Connexin 43 / drug effects*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoblotting
  • Lycopene
  • Male
  • Mouth Neoplasms / secondary
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Receptors, Cell Surface / drug effects*
  • Receptors, Cell Surface / metabolism
  • Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured
  • Up-Regulation

Substances

  • Anticarcinogenic Agents
  • Connexin 43
  • PLAUR protein, human
  • Receptors, Cell Surface
  • Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator
  • Carotenoids
  • Lycopene