Secretion of transforming growth factor‐β by the immature rat prostate

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Abstract
Immature rat ventral prostate was used to identify a potent cell growth inhibitory factor in normal prostate. Both conditioned media and peptide extracts derived from ventral prostates inhibit the cellular growth and DNA synthesis in metastatic androgen‐independent human prostate carcinoma cell line (PC3). The prostatic inhibitory factor was partially purified using an hydrophobic HPLC column (C18). Sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis (SDS‐PAGE) of partially purified material revealed a major 25‐kDa band. Immunoblot analysis showed similarity of the inhibitory factor to the transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β). Furthermore, the proliferation inhibiting activity of the prostatic factor was completely abolished by anti‐TGF‐β antibodies. These data indicate that normal prostate produces a TGF‐β‐like protein under non‐physiological conditions.