Cell surface effects of androgens between 1 pM and 100 nM on rat sertoli cells and two human prostatic cell lines, LNCaP and PC3: evidence for two membrance receptors

Androgen-induced calcium fluxes and gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) were studied in three different cell types. A transient (2–3 min duration) increase in intracellular calcium levels was observed within 20–30 sec of androgen addition, which was followed by a plateau phase with steroid concentrations higher than 1 nM. The kinetics of the calcium responses were similar in immature rat Sertoli cells, which contain normal nuclear receptors; the human prostatic tumor cell line, LNCaP, which contains a mutated nuclear receptor; and the human prostatic cell line, PC3, which does not contain a nuclear receptor. The human A431 tumor cell line did not respond to androgens. Concentrations of testosterone and the synthetic androgen, R1881, between 1–1000 pM induced transient calcium increases with ED50 values near 1 pM and 1 nM, whereas dihydrotestosterone (DHT) was not active at these concentrations. At concentrations higher than 1 nM, testosterone, R1881, and DHT were equipotent in stimulating an increase in calcium that lasted for more than 10 min, with ED50 values between 5 and 20 nM. Testosterone covalently bound to albumin was also active, whereas 11 related androstane compounds as well as progesterone and estradiol-17b were inactive at 1000 nM. The calcium response induced by the three androgens (10 nM) was abolished in all cell types by hydroxyflutamide (1000 nM) and finasteride (1000 nM), but not by cyproterone acetate (1000 nM). The calcium response was also abolished in the absence of extracellular calcium and strongly inhibited by the presence of verapamil. Exposure of the responsive cells to brief (150sec) pulses of androgens generated calcium responses that were similar to those after continuous exposure. After exposure of Sertoli cells for only 30 sec to 100 nM testosterone, the calcium response lasted for at least 50 min. Although nuclear binding of androgens could be demonstrated, there was no evidence for tight binding to the plasma membrane under similar conditions. When protein synthesis was inhibited, an enhancement of GJIC between rat Sertoli cells, but not between LNCaP cells or PC3 cells, was observed within 15 min of the addition of 10 nM testosterone. Because nuclear androgens are not present in PC3 cells and many functional properties of the responsive system are different from the nuclear receptor in all three cell types, we postulate the existence of an alternative cell surface receptor system with biphasic response characteristics (high and low affinity). The calcium signals are probably coupled to the regula1This work was generously supported by the Ernst Schering Research Foundation. 2Correspondence: F.F. G. Rommerts, Department of Endocrinology and Reproduction, Erasmus University Rotterdam, P.O. Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands. FAX: 31 104 089 461; e-mail: rommerts@endov.fgg. eur.nl Received: 7 June 1999. First decision: 6 July 1999. Accepted: 28 April 2000. Q 2000 by the Society for the Study of Reproduction, Inc. ISSN: 0006-3363. http://www.biolreprod. org tion of gap junctional efficiency between Sertoli cells. The lowaffinity receptors may convey complementary androgen signals at elevated local levels such as in the testis, when nuclear receptors are (over)saturated. calcium, hormone action, prostate, Sertoli cells