Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 21, 2026

Demonstrating a Linear Relationship Between Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Luteinizing Hormone in Kidney Cortex Extracts
Published on: January 22, 2020
Effects of luteinizing hormone receptor signaling in prostate cancer cells
Shigang Xiong1, Qingcai Wang, Stephen V Liu
1Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Keck School of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
Background:
The importance of androgen signaling in prostate cancer (PC) is well described and prostate cancer cells retain the ability to directly synthesize androgens. Luteinizing hormone (LH) can induce expression of steroidogenic enzymes and trigger androgen production, but the regulation of this process is not well-described. Here, we explored the impact of silencing LH receptor (LHR) silencing on androgen synthesis and on several relevant signaling pathways in PC.
Methods:
LHR mRNA and protein expression was evaluated in LNCaP PC cells treated with LHR-siRNA. MTS assay was used to measure the effect of LHR-siRNA on proliferation in LNCaP and 22RV1 PC cells. Treated LNCaP and LAPC-3 cells were also assayed for differences in androgen synthesis and expression of steroidogenic enzymes, PSA, AR, and critical signaling molecules including PKA, ERK1/2, PI3K, AKT2, and HER2.
Results:
We confirmed that functional LHR is expressed in both androgen-sensitive and castrate-resistant PC specimens. Treatment with LHR-siRNA effectively silenced LHR gene and protein expression and prevented LH-mediated proliferation and androgen synthesis in prostate cancer cells. LHR silencing also downregulated expression of AR, PSA, PKA, ERK1/2, PI3K, AKT2, and HER2.
Conclusion:
Collectively, these data demonstrate that silencing LHR expression suppresses androgen synthesis and signaling and the LH-LHR pathway may represent a viable therapeutic strategy in PC.
Related Concept Videos
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
Target Cell Response to Hormones
Notably, the cellular response can be regulated by altering the number of receptors expressed in the cell. For example, prolonged exposure to elevated hormone levels results in a gradual decline or down-regulation in the number of receptors for that specific hormone on the cell surface. Conversely, in response to low hormone levels, cells may use up-regulation, producing an...
Amplifying Signals via Enzymatic Cascade
Signal Transduction: Overview
Typically, signal transduction involves three...
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...

