['Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors are becoming of increasing interest as major regulators of cancer cell growth and metastases. VEGF is expressed by many cancer cells including most prostatic carcinomas. Recently it has also been shown that the VEGF receptors are also expressed by prostate cancer cells and it has been suggested that there may be autocrine regulatory loops that are important in the development and progression of the disease. To date, however, there have only been descriptive studies of expression without correlation of the findings with possible pathophysiologic effects. The present studies were done to determine if there is a correlation between expression of VEGF receptors and the ability of human prostate cancer cells to invade and migrate in vitro.', 'Using RT-PCR we examined the expression of VEGF and its receptors, KDR, Flt-1, NP-1 and NP-2, in 8 human prostate cancer cell lines and then correlated the expression patterns with the ability of these cell lines to invade and migrate through membranes in a modified Boyden Chamber assay in the presence and absence of VEGF.', 'Six of the 8 cell lines expressed VEGF. None expressed the Flt-1 receptor and only 2 expressed KDR. The most commonly expressed VEGF receptor was NP-1 (5 of 8 cell lines) and its expression was strongly, and negatively, correlated with the ability of these cell lines to invade and migrate in the assay system used. Cell lines expressing NP-1 had low levels of migration both with and without VEGF compared to those not expressing NP-1.'] Is migration and invasion of human prostate cancer cells related to expression of VEGF and its receptors?