Estradiol stimulates cell growth and secretion of procathepsin D and a 120-kilodalton protein in the human ovarian cancer cell line BG-1.

Abstract

Ovarian cancers are highly invasive. In a first attempt to define the hormones and factors involved in the control of tumor invasion and metastasis, we have used the human ovarian cancer cell line BG-1 which contains both estrogen and progesterone receptors. Protein synthesis and secretion was assayed by [35S]methionine incorporation and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis followed by fluorography. Three responses to estradiol were found: 1) procathepsin D secretion was increased, whereas the corresponding intracellular proteins were not significantly affected; 2) an abundant but nonidentified 120-kilodalton (kDa) estrogen-induced secreted glycoprotein, different from CA125, was detected for the first time; and 3) the number of cells as determined by DNA assay was markedly stimulated, reaching a higher level of confluency. The antiestrogen OH-tamoxifen was weakly agonist at low concentrations to stimulate cell growth but was a pure antagonist on the 120-kDa protein. The steroid specificity of these responses strongly suggests that they are mediated by the estrogen receptor. We conclude that cathepsin D secretion is specifically stimulated by estrogen in this ovarian cancer cell line as it is in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells. Both cathepsin D and a newly described 120-kDa secreted glycoprotein are potential markers of hormone responsiveness and/or aggressiveness which deserve to be further studied in clinical ovarian cancers.

• Authors: F Galtier-Dereure, F Capony, T Maudelonde, H Rochefort
• Journal: The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism (J Clin Endocrinol Metab) Vol. 75 Issue 6 Pg. 1497-502 (Dec 1992) ISSN: 0021-972X [Print] United States
• PMID: 1464654 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Enzyme Precursors
• Estrogen Antagonists
• Proteins
• Dihydrotestosterone
• Tamoxifen
• afimoxifene
• Estradiol
• procathepsin D
• Cathepsin D

Topics

• Cathepsin D (metabolism)
• Cell Division (drug effects)
• Dihydrotestosterone (pharmacology)
• Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
• Enzyme Precursors (metabolism)
• Estradiol (pharmacology)
• Estrogen Antagonists (pharmacology)
• Female
• Humans
• Molecular Weight
• Ovarian Neoplasms (metabolism, pathology)
• Precipitin Tests
• Proteins (chemistry, metabolism)
• Tamoxifen (analogs & derivatives, pharmacology)
• Tumor Cells, Cultured