Effects of the Bone/Bone Marrow Microenvironments on Prostate Cancer Cells and CD59 Expression

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) and osteoblasts (hFOB1.19) on PC3 prostate cancer cells. METHODS: To simulate the in vivo interaction between the bone/bone marrow microenvironments and prostate cancer cells, we established cocultures of PC3 cells with hBMSC or hFOB1.19 cells and evaluated their effects on the proliferation, cell cycle distribution, cell migration, and invasion of PC3 cells. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to detect CD59 mRNA expression in PC3 cells. The expression of receptor activator of nuclear factor- (NF-) κB (RANK), RANK ligand (RANKL), osteoprotegerin (OPG), CD59, NF-κB (p50 subunit), and cyclin D1 in PC3 cells was analyzed by immunofluorescence and western blotting. RESULTS: hBMSCs and hFOB1.19 cells enhanced the proliferation, migration, and invasion of PC3 cells; increased the proportion of PC3 cells in the S and G(2)/M phases of the cell cycle; and upregulated RANK, RANKL, OPG, CD59, cyclin D1, and NF-κB (p50 subunit) expression by PC3 cells. The RANKL inhibitor, scutellarin, inhibited these effects in PC3-hFOB1.19 cocultures. CONCLUSION: hBMSCs and hFOB1.19 cells modulate the phenotype of PC3 prostate cancer cells and the expression of CD59 by activating the RANK/RANKL/OPG signaling pathway.