Vimentin 3 Expression in Prostate Cancer Cells

Background/Aim: Vimentin3 (Vim3) was recently described as a tumour marker for the direct discrimination between benign and malignant kidney tumours. Here, we examined its expression in prostate cancer (PCa) cell lines and the regulation of its expression by endothelin receptors. Materials and Methods: Prostate cancer cell lines (PC3, DU145, LNCap) were incubated with endothelin 1 (ET-1), BQ123 [endothelin A receptor (ETAR) antagonist], BQ788 [endothelin B receptor (ETBR) antagonist), BQ123+ET-1, BQ788+ET-1 for 24 h and a scratch assay was performed. Cell extracts were analysed by western blotting and qRT-PCR. Results: ET-1 induced Vim3 overexpression. Blocking the ETBR in the different prostate cancer cell lines yielded a higher migration rate, whereby Vim3 expression was significantly increased. Conclusion: Vim3 concentration increases in cell lines without a functional ETBR and may be used as a marker for PCas where ETBR is frequently methylated