All-trans retinoic acid enhances bystander effect of suicide-gene therapy against androgen-unresponsive prostate cancer / 中华男科学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the enhancing effect of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) on the bystander effect of the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase(HSV-TK)/ganciclovir (GCV) against androgen unresponsive prostate cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The bystander effect of the HSV-TK/GCV system was measured by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay on PC-3 cells before and after ATRA treatment. The growth and the histopathology of transplant tumors were observed in 4 groups of nude mice with prostate cancer.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>ATRA augmented significantly the bystander effect of the HSV-TK/GCV system by reducing TK positive PC-3 cells from 50% to 30% (P < 0.05). HSV-TK showed an inhibiting effect, while ATRA with the HSV-TK/GCV system produced significant effect on prostate cancer 1 week earlier than the former (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ATRA can argument the in vivo and in vitro bystander effect of the HSV-TK/GCV system in the treatment of androgen unresponsive prostate cancer.</p>