In this study, we investigated the synergistic mechanism of anti-androgen and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) combination therapy against castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Four prostate cancer cell lines, LNCaP, 22Rv1, DU145 and PC3, were examined for their growth dependency on androgens and the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1). We assessed the expression changes of certain growth factor receptors and regulating proteins when treated with 5-FU, and found that 5-FU increased the expression of the IGF-binding protein 3 (IGFBP3). Furthermore, 5-FU inhibited the phosphorylation of Akt and p70 S6K, while the knockdown of IGFBP3 reduced the levels of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleaved by 5-FU in PC3 cells. Therefore, the up-regulation of IGFBP3 by 5-FU not only inhibits cell growth by reducing the IGF1 signal but also induces apoptosis in PC3 cells. The synergistic effect of bicalutamide and 5-FU on 22Rv1 cells was reduced by IGFBP3 gene silencing using small-interfering RNA. These results suggest that the up-regulation of IGFBP3 induced by 5-FU plays an important role in the potent anti-tumor effect of 5-FU combined with anti-androgens on CRPC. Androgen-deprivation therapy combined with 5-FU could therefore be an appropriate therapy for CRPC patients.

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