Steroid hormone receptors in three human gastric cancer cell lines.

Steroid hormone receptors in three human gastric adenocarcinoma cell lines and their transplanted tumors (except nontumorigenic KATO-III) in nude mice were determined by dextran-coated charcoal assay. Progesterone receptors (PgR) were found in all cell lines, transplanted NUGC-3, and AZ 521 tumors. Estrogen receptors (ER) were found in KATO-III cells, transplanted NUGC-3, and AZ 521 tumors, whereas glucocorticoid receptors (GR) were found only in NUGC-3 tumor and no androgen receptor was found in any cell lines or transplanted tumors. Since NUGC-3 cells had ER, PgR, and GR, it was used for the study of the effects of steroid hormones on growth. The results showed the cell cycle phase distributions and growth rate of transplanted tumors were similar in hormone-treated and nontreated groups. The persistent expression of PgR in gastric cancer cell lines and tumors, and the slight increase of tumor volumes in the progesterone-treated group suggests that progesterone and its receptors may be important in the pathogenesis of gastric cancer, but their biological function remains to be elucidated.