17β-estradiol up-regulates the insulin-like growth factor receptor through a nongenotropic pathway in prostate cancer cells

Prostate carcinomas frequently express estrogen receptors (ER), irrespective of androgen receptor (AR) expression; however, the role of ERs and estrogens in prostate cancer is controversial. We found that 17 beta-estradiol (E-2) is able to markedly up-regulate insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I receptor (IGF-IR) mRNA and protein expression in both AR-positive (LNCaP cells) and AR-negative (PC-3 cells) prostate cancer cells. This effect occurs not only via ER alpha but also via ER(3 stimulation and is specific for IGF-IR because it does not involve the cognate insulin receptor. IGF-IR up-regulation is associated with increased IGF-IR phosphorylation and with increased mitogenic and motogenic activities in response to IGF-I. IGF-IR up-regulation by E-2 does not require ER binding to DNA and is poorly sensitive to antiestrogen blockade, whereas it is associated with the activation of cytosolic kinase cascades involving Src, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-1/2, and, to a lesser extent, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and is sensitive to the inhibition of these kinases. In conclusion, our data indicate that estrogens may contribute to IGF system deregulation in prostate cancer through the activation of a nongenotropic pathway. Estrogens may have a role, therefore, in tumor progression to androgen independence. Inhibition of the IGF-IR or the Src-ERK pathway should be considered, therefore, as an adjuvant therapy in prostate cancer.