Laboratory of Reproductive and Molecular Endocrinology, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, 1900 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.

BACKGROUND: Racemic gossypol [(+/-)-GP], a naturally occurring polyphenolic yellow pigment present in cottonseed products, inhibits in vitro proliferation of Dunning prostate cancer cells (MAT-LyLu), human prostate cancer cells derived from a bone marrow metastasis (PC3), MCF-7 and primary cultured human prostate cells. (+/-)-GP also has the ability to inhibit the metastasis of lung and lymph nodes of the androgen-independent rodent prostate cancer cell line, MAT-LyLu, after implantation into Copenhagen rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The effects of (+/-)-GP on the proliferation of human prostate cancer PC3 cells were determined by thymidine incorporation assay and doubling-time (DT) determination. The mechanisms of action of (+/-)-GP on the proliferation of PC3 cells were determined by RT-PCR analysis, ELISA assay and Western blot analysis. RESULTS: The results show that (+/-)-GP caused reductions in DNA synthesis and prolonged the DTs in PC3 cells. RT-PCR and ELISA results show that (+/-)-GP elevate the mRNA expression and protein secretion of transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1) in PC3 cells. Consistent with these findings, (+/-)-GP has been shown to decrease the cyclin D1 mRNA expression and protein expression in PC3 cells. Furthermore, the growth inhibition of PC3 cells by conditioned media collected from the (+/-)-GP-treated-PC3 cells was completely reversed by addition of 25 microg/ml of mouse monoclonal anti-TGFbeta1, -beta2, -beta3 antibody, suggesting the involvement of TGFbeta1 in (+/-)-GP-induced growth inhibition of PC3 cells. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the inhibitory effects of (+/-)-GP on the proliferation of human prostate cancer PC3 cells are associated with induction of TGFbeta1, which in turn influences the expression of the cell cycle-regulatory protein, cyclin D1, in prostate cancer cells.