Figure 3.

Androgen receptor signaling in normal and malignant prostate cells. In normal prostate, the growth and survival of prostate epithelium depends on secreted soluble andromedins produced by the stromal cells in an androgen-dependent manner which diffuse across the basement membrane and act on epithelial receptors (above). Malignant transformation of normal prostatic epithelial cells is associated with a switch from a paracrine to an autocrine mechanism in androgen-stimulated growth (below). Androgens diffuse from blood circulation (straight green arrows) and bind to androgen receptors in cells that leads to production of andromedins that act in an autocrine or paracrine manner (curved green arrows).