OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of prostate cancer cell line PC-3 conditioned medium (PC- 3-CM) on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow human basalis mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs).

METHODShBMSCs were isolated and culture-expanded by density gradient centrifugation from normal volunteers. PC-3 cells were cultured till the time of logarithmic growth and then transferred to a fresh medium, which, after 24 hours of incubation, was collected as PC-3-CM. Passage 3 hBMSCs were cultured in the fresh medium alone (the control group) or that with 50% PC-3-CM (the experimental group), and the effect of PC-3-CM on the proliferation activity of the hBMSCs was detected by WST-8 assay. Based on the types of medium used, the hBMSCs were divided into Groups I (control), II (50% PC-3-CM), III (osteoblast inducer) and IV (osteoblast inducer containing 50% PC-3 CM). The effects of PC-3-CM on the osteoblastic differentiation of the hBMSCs were determined by ALP staining, ALP activity detection, Von Kossa staining, and calcium quantitation.

RESULTSAt 1, 3, 5 and 7 days of incubation, the absorbance values of the cells in the experimental group were 0.4370 +/- 0.0285, 0.7980 +/- 0.0213, 1.9090 +/- 0.0612 and 2.3023 +/- 0.0610, and those in the control group were 0.4060 +/- 0.0223, 0.6643 +/- 0.0075, 1.3727 +/- 0.0176 and 1.7947 +/- 0.0115, respectively, with significant differences between the two groups (P < 0.01) except on day 1 (P > 0.05). The positive rate and intensity of ALP staining were gradually increased in the four groups, with the ALP activities of 0.29 +/- 0.03, 1.30 +/- 0.03, 2.13 +/- 0.08, and 3.80 +/- 0.03, respectively (P < 0.01), and so was the intensity of Von Kossa staining, with the calcium depositions of 0.04 +/- 0.01, 0.44 +/- 0.05, 0.98 +/- 0.03, and 1.27 +/- 0.04, respectively (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONPC-3- CM can promote the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.