Increased levels of urokinase plasminogen activator receptor in prostate cancer cells derived from repeated metastasis

To understand alterations to the urokinase system that may occur in progressively metastatic prostate cancer cells, we assessed urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) expression, in vitro motility towards vitronectin, urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA)-induced growth and growth factor regulation of uPAR expression in three cell lines—PC-3 and two derivatives from secondary metastases, PC-3M and PC-3MM2. DU-145 and Tsu-Pr1 cells were included for comparative purposes. uPAR expression increases with metastatic passage in these cell lines and accompanies increased growth and motility responses in the presence of uPA. Growth factors TGFβ1 and IGF-1 induce uPAR in all three prostate cancer lines; however, PC-3M and PC-3MM2 cells also respond to bFGF. Of the cell lines tested, PC-3MM2 most uniformly respond to added TGFβ1, IGF-1 and bFGF. These results show that in two progressive derivatives from repeated metastasis of PC-3 cells, constitutive and growth factor-induced uPAR expression is enhanced. This increased uPAR facilitates the properties of growth and motility.