Induction of hTERT mRNA by E₂ in normal and transformed human prostate epithelial cells. Total RNA was extracted from cells cultured in the presence or absence of E₂ (10^–7 M) for the indicated times. Semiquantitative RT-PCR analysis of hTERT and hTR mRNA levels was performed in (a) normal PrECs and fresh explants from two BPH lesions (no. 1 and 2), (b) three PCa specimens (no. 1, 2, and 3), and (c) three PCa cell lines (LNCaP, DU145, and PC-3). HeLa cell RNA (HeLa) and the “no cDNA template” (no DNA) were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. Densitometric analysis of hTERT and hTR mRNA levels in the presence or absence of E₂ was performed after normalization to values obtained under the same conditions with the control housekeeping gene aldolase (ald). The average values from three independent experiments were expressed as the ratio of hTERT and hTR versus aldolase (hTERT/ald and hTR/ald) in a or as fold of induction (+/– E₂) of normalized values (hTERT/ald and hTR/ald) in b and c.