Leptin increases motility and integrin up-regulation in human prostate cancer cells

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in men and shows a predilection for metastasis to distant organs. Leptin, an adipocyte-derived cytokine that is closely associated with obesity, has recently been shown to be involved in carcinogenesis and cancer progression. The aim of this study was to investigate whether leptin is associated with the motility of prostate cancer cells. We found that leptin increased the migration of human prostate cancer cells and expression of αvβ3 integrin on these cells. Leptin-mediated migration and increased integrin expression were attenuated by OBRl receptor antisense oligonucleotide (ODN). Activation of insulin receptor substrate (IRS-1), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), Akt, and NF-κB pathways after leptin treatment was demonstrated. Furthermore, leptin-induced integrin expression and migration activity were inhibited by specific inhibitors; small interfering RNAs (siRNAs); and mutants of the IRS-1, PI3K, Akt, and NF-κB cascades. Therefore, this study shows that leptin stimulates the migration of human prostate cancer cells, one of the mechanisms underlying leptin-directed migration was transcriptional up-regulation of αvβ3 integrin expression through the OBR1/IRS-1/PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signal transduction pathway.