ERK 1,2 and p38 pathways are involved in the proliferative stimuli mediated by urokinase in osteoblastic SaOS-2 cell line

Bone metastases from prostate origin generate an osteoblastic reaction that is expressed in vitro by increased osteoblast proliferation. The urokinase‐like plasminogen activator (u‐PA) present in the media conditioned by tumoral prostatic cells acting as a ligand of the cellular membrane receptor (u‐PAR), has been identified as the specific factor that modulates this proliferative reaction. The present study represents an effort to unravel the intracellular pathway by which u‐PA activates osteoblastic proliferation and to evaluate the role of cellular receptor u‐PAR in this proliferative phenomenon. Our results show that in vitro u‐PA stimulates proliferation of SaOS‐2 osteoblastic cells by activating the MAP kinase route of ERK 1 and 2 and the p38 pathway. These results are in accordance with the inhibition of intermediate activation and cell proliferation by PD 098059 and SB 203580, specific inhibitors of MEK and p38, respectively. We also show that SaOS‐2 cells increase their proliferative response when cells are plated onto vitronectin, the second natural ligand of u‐PAR, and that culturing SaOS‐2 cells in the presence of u‐PA represents a stimuli for u‐PAR expression. On the basis of these results we propose that osteoblastic cells respond to the prostate‐derived u‐PA stimuli in a very efficient manner that includes the utilization of two different signaling routes and the stimulation of the expression of the u‐PA receptor. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.