Androgen receptor localisation and turnover in human prostate epithelium treated with the antiandrogen, casodex.

In vitro models of normal and malignant human prostate are currently limited to a few well established cell lines that, with a single exception (LNCaP), fail to express the androgen receptor (AR) - a common characteristic of prostatic epithelium grown in culture. To investigate the molecular mechanism of action of the non-steroidal antiandrogen Casodex (bicalutamide) against wild-type AR, we have established a transient AR expression model in non-tumorigenic prostate cells of both epithelial and mesenchymal origin. In this model, both dihydrotestosterone and Casodex can effectively transport the AR protein into the nucleus of prostate cells. Whereas the natural ligand, dihydrotestosterone, stabilises the receptor, the AR is rapidly degraded at a nuclear location when the transfected cells are treated with Casodex. In contrast, whereas the mutant AR in the LNCaP line is also degraded on Casodex treatment over the same time period, its intracellular targeting is defective.