Strong clinical and experimental evidence shows that elevated levels of
urokinase plasminogen activators (
u-PA) and
matrix metalloproteinases (
MMPs) are associated with
prostate cancer progression,
metastasis and shortened survival in patients.
MMP activities are regulated by specific tissue inhibitors of
metalloproteinases (TIMPs). A nutrient mixture (NM) containing
lysine,
proline,
ascorbic acid and
green tea extract showed anticancer activity against a number of
cancer cell lines. Our main objective was to study the effect of NM on the activity of
u-PA,
MMPs and their inhibitor TIMPs on human
prostate cancer cell lines PC-3 and DU-145. Human
prostate cancer cell lines PC-3 and DU-145 (ATCC) were grown in MEM media with 10% FBS and
antibiotics in 24‑well tissue culture plates. At near confluence, the cells were treated with NM at 0-1000 µg/ml in triplicate at each concentration. Analysis of
u-PA activity was carried out by
fibrin zymography,
MMPs by
gelatinase zymography and TIMPs by reverse zymography. Both PC-3 and DU-145
prostate cancer cell lines demonstrated
u-PA activity (subunits 1 and 2, corresponding to 35 and 33 kDa).
Prostate cancer cell line PC-3 secretion of
u-PA subunit 1 was decreased by 65% at NM 500 µg/ml and subunit 2 by 100% at NM 50 µg/ml.
Prostate cancer cell line DU-145 secretion of
u-PA subunit 1 was decreased by 97% at NM 500 µg/ml and subunit 2 by 100% at NM 100 µg/ml. Untreated PC-3 showed two bands for MMP-2 and MMP-9. NM inhibited their expression in a dose-dependent manner. The activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 was significantly inhibited at 250 µg/ml with total inhibition at 500 µg/ml. DU-145 cells did not exhibit
MMP activity. Activity of TIMPs was up-regulated in both
prostate cancer cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. Minimum activity was expressed at 50 µg/ml NM and maximum at 1000 µg/ml. Correlation analyses revealed a positive correlation between
u-PA and
MMPs and a negative correlation between
u-PA/
MMPs and TIMPs. These results suggest NM as a potential
anticancer agent since it targets invasive parameters of
prostate cancer.