Basal Cell Induced Differentiation of Noncancerous Prostate Epithelial Cells (RWPE-1) by Glycitein

Abstract

Increased consumption of soy and soy isoflavones is associated with a reduced risk for prostate cancer (PCa). PCa progression is characterized, in part, by a loss of luminal/basal epithelial differentiation; however, the effects of soy isoflavones on cellular differentiation in the prostate are unknown. The present study examined the effects of the soy isoflavone glycitein on cellular differentiation in prostate epithelial cells (RWPE-1, WPE1-NB14, and RWPE-2). Glycitein significantly inhibited RWPE-1 cellular proliferation at concentrations ranging from 0.4 to 50 μ M. Expression of the luminal epithelial cell marker cytokeratin 18 was not affected by glycitein treatment in the WPE1-NB14 and RWPE-2 cell lines. However, expression of cytokeratin 18 and prostate specific antigen (PSA) was decreased in the RWPE-1 cell line in response to glycitein treatment, whereas the expression of the basal epithelial cell markers p63 and cytokeratin 5 remained unchanged. These data suggest that glycitein may induce basal cell differentiation in the RWPE-1 cell line.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

All work within this project was executed at The Ohio State University. This project was supported in part by Grant P30 CA16058, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, and by state and federal funds appropriated to The Ohio State University, Ohio Agriculture Research and Development Center.

Notes

^a Abbreviation is as follows: 4-HPR, N-(4-hydroxyphenyl) retinamide. All experiments were performed independently at least 3 times with n = 3. Significant difference from the untreated control is designated by letter subscripts (P < 0.05).