Extracellular calcium as a candidate mediator of prostate cancer skeletal metastasis

Cancer Res. 2006 Sep 15;66(18):9065-73. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-06-0317.

Abstract

Prostate cancer almost exclusively metastasizes to skeletal sites, indicating that the bone provides a favorable microenvironment for its localization and progression. A natural yet understudied factor in bone that could facilitate tumor localization is elevated extracellular calcium ([Ca2+]o). The present study found that elevated [Ca2+]o (2.5 mmol/L) enhanced proliferation of skeletal metastatic prostate cell lines (PC-3 and C4-2B), but not the nonskeletal metastatic, epithelial-derived prostate cell line LNCaP. The proliferative effect of elevated [Ca2+]o was associated with higher expression of the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), a heterotrimeric G-protein-coupled receptor that is the predominant cell-surface sensor for [Ca2+]o. Knockdown of the CaSR via RNA interference reduced cell proliferation in vitro and metastatic progression in vivo. CaSR signaling in PC-3 cells was evaluated by measuring the elevated [Ca2+]o-dependent inhibition of cyclic AMP accumulation, induced by either prostaglandin E2 or forskolin. Elevated [Ca2+]o stabilized expression of cyclin D1, a protein required for cell cycle transition. Furthermore, elevated [Ca2+]o triggered activation of the Akt signaling pathway and enhanced PC-3 cell attachment. Both pertussis toxin (a G-protein inhibitor) and LY294002 (an inhibitor of Akt signaling) reduced cell attachment. These data suggest that elevated [Ca2+]o following increased bone remodeling could facilitate metastatic localization of prostate cancer via the CaSR and the Akt signaling pathway. Taken together, [Ca2+]o is a candidate mediator of prostate cancer bone metastasis.

MeSH terms

  • Bone Neoplasms / genetics
  • Bone Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Bone Neoplasms / secondary*
  • Calcium / metabolism
  • Calcium / physiology*
  • Calcium Signaling / drug effects
  • Calcium Signaling / physiology
  • Cell Adhesion / physiology
  • Cell Growth Processes / physiology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cyclic AMP / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Cyclic AMP / metabolism
  • Cyclin D1 / biosynthesis
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neomycin / pharmacology
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / genetics
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • RNA Interference
  • Receptors, Calcium-Sensing / agonists
  • Receptors, Calcium-Sensing / genetics
  • Receptors, Calcium-Sensing / metabolism
  • Transfection

Substances

  • Receptors, Calcium-Sensing
  • Cyclin D1
  • Cyclic AMP
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • Neomycin
  • Calcium