Expression of nucleostemin in prostate cancer and its effect on the proliferation of PC-3 cells / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

ABSTRACT

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Nucleostemin is essential for the proliferation and survival of stem and cancer cells, but it is unknown whether this newly identified molecule is involved in prostate cancer pathogenesis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Total RNA and protein were extracted from prostate cancer tissues and PC-3, LNCap and DU145 cell lines. The nucleostemin mRNA and protein expression were measured by RT-PCR and Western blot. Immunohistochemistry was also used to detect the nucleostemin protein expression in prostate cancer tissues and PC-3 cells. A nucleostemin specific, short hairpin RNA, expression plasmid was used to transfect PC-3 cells. The changes of nucleostemin gene were detected and the proliferative capacity of the cells was determined.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Nucleostemin was highly expressed in prostate cancer tissues and cell lines. Nucleostemin expression level in the silencer group PC-3 cells remarkably reduced. The proliferation rate of silencer group PC-3 cells decreased and the percentage of G1 stage cells increased. The neoplasm forming capacity in nude mice of the silencer group PC-3 cells decreased significantly.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Nucleostemin is highly expressed in prostate cancer tissues and cell lines. The proliferative capacity of PC-3 cells is remarkably reduced after silencing nucleostemin gene expression.</p>