EFFECTS OF 5-ALPHA-DIHYDROTESTOSTERONE (DHT) ON THE TRANSCRIPTION OF NM23 AND C-MYC GENES IN HUMAN PROSTATIC LNCAP CELLS

Proliferation of the androgen-dependent human prostate LNCaP cells was increased by the androgen DHT. Changes in the steady state level of the nm23 and c-myc mRNA in LNCaP cells, with or without 10 nM DHT, showed the nm23 mRNA to change rapidly, beginning to rise after 2 h and reaching its peak by 4 h of DHT treatment. In contrast, increases in the c-myc gene only became apparent after 4 h of treatment. Maximal increase of nm23 mRNA was observed at 10(-9) M DHT. The basal expression of c-myc and nm23 mRNAs was between 30-70% lower in the LNCaP cells, as compared with the androgen-independent PC-3 and JCA-1 human prostatic human carcinoma cells. Thus nm23 may be classified as a member of the early androgen-responsive genes. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.