Factors influencing phenotypic diversity of human prostate carcinoma cells metastasizing in athymic nude mice.

Three related human prostate carcinoma cell lines, PC-3, 1-LN-PC-3-1A (1-LN), and 1-LN-PC-3-1A clone 4 (clone 4) were compared in terms of relative metastatic capacity in adult and young male nude mice. Only 1-LN produced lung metastases after intravenous injection into both 6- to 8-week-old and 4-week-old nude mice, as well as in mice injected intraperitoneally. The extent of the phenotypic diversity exhibited by these human prostate tumor lines was influenced by inherent dissemination ability, age of the host, and route of injection. These lines provide a useful system for the analysis of the biology of human tumor metastasis in nude mice.