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Biomedical subjects

K S Zänker

Publications and source records attributed to K S Zänker.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Propofol-induced calcium signalling and actin reorganization within breast carcinoma cells.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: MDA-MB-468 breast carcinoma cells respond to non-volatile anaesthetics such as propofol with an increased migration. Here we investigated the relationship between GABA-A receptor modulators, the mode of calcium oscillation and actin reorganization with regard to breast carcinoma cell migration. METHODS: Expression of the GABA-A receptor was determined by Western blot analysis. Calcium-imaging experiments of individual MDA-MB-468 cells as well as visualization of the F-actin distribution were performed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Cell migration was investigated in a three-dimensional collagen matrix by time-lapse video microscopy. The GABA agonist propofol was used in a final concentration of 6 microg mL(-1). GABA-A receptor antagonist bicuculline (50 micromol) and selective L-type calcium channel blocker verapamil (5 micromol) were used to modulate the propofol effects. RESULTS: A functional GABA-A receptor is expressed by MDA-MB-468 cells. Activation with propofol resulted in sustained increased intracellular calcium concentrations concomitant with actin reorganization and induction of migration in MDA-MB-468 cells. These propofol effects were completely blocked by verapamil. Spontaneous migration of MDA-MB-468 cells (64.4 +/- 7.0%) was significantly increased by propofol to 85.0 +/- 5.0%. MDA-MB-468 cells co-treated with propofol and verapamil showed a migratory activity of 63.0 +/- 2.0% indicating that verapamil blocked the propofol effect. Similar results were achieved with the GABA-A receptor inhibitor bicuculline (control: 56.3 +/- 8.5%; propofol: 80.5 +/- 7.1%; propofol + bicuculline: 52.5 +/- 8.6%). CONCLUSION: Activation of GABA-A receptor by propofol correlated with an increased migration of MDA-MB-468 breast carcinoma cells, mediated by calcium influx via L-type calcium channels and reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton.

Actins↗

Antitumour effects of PLC-gamma1-(SH2)2-TAT fusion proteins on EGFR/c-erbB-2-positive breast cancer cells.

Due to its pivotal role in the growth factor-mediated tumour cell migration, the adaptor protein phospholipase C-gamma1 (PLC-gamma1) is an appropriate target to block ultimately the spreading of EGFR/c-erbB-2-positive tumour cells, thereby minimising metastasis formation. Here, we present an approach to block PLC-gamma1 activity by using protein-based PLC-gamma1 inhibitors consisting of PLC-gamma1 SH2 domains, which were fused to the TAT-transduction domain to ensure a high protein transduction efficiency. Two proteins were generated containing one PLC-gamma1-SH2-domain (PS1-TAT) or two PLC-gamma1-SH2 domains (PS2-TAT). PS2-TAT treatment of the EGFR/c-erbB-2-positive cell line MDA-HER2 resulted in a reduction of the EGF-mediated PLC-gamma1 tyrosine phosphorylation of about 30%, concomitant with a complete abrogation of the EGF-driven calcium influx. In addition to this, long-term PS2-TAT treatment both reduces the EGF-mediated migration of about 75% combined with a markedly decreased time locomotion of single MDA-HER2 cells as well as decreases the proliferation of MDA-HER2 cells by about 50%. Due to its antitumoral capacity on EGFR/c-erbB-2-positive breast cancer cells, we conclude from our results that the protein-based PLC-gamma1 inhibitor PS2-TAT may be a means for novel adjuvant antitumour strategies to minimise metastasis formation because of the blockade of cell migration and proliferation.

Adenoma↗

Realtime visualization of tumor cell/endothelial cell interactions during transmigration across the endothelial barrier.

PURPOSE: In cancer the blood-borne spread of tumor cells leads to the formation of secondary tumors at distant loci whereby the extravasation of tumor cells is a prerequisite step during hematogenous metastasis. Here, we describe a novel in vitro realtime model which shows the complete sequence of the extravasation process. METHODS: We developed an in vitro system allowing us to monitor the sequence of extravasation events of tumor cell clusters across a monolayer of human umbilical cord endothelial cells (HUVEC). Fluorescence markers and laser scanning confocal microscopy were used to visualize the interactions between tumor cells and endothelium. RESULTS: Our model indicates that the extravasation of tumor cell clusters derived from the invasive human bladder carcinoma cell line T24 occurs in a relatively short time-frame up to 4 h after adhesion to the endothelium. We demonstrate that the vascular endothelium is irreversibly damaged at the site of tumor cell extravasation. CONCLUSION: Realtime laser scanning confocal microscopy leads to a better understanding of the complex and dynamic cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix interactions during the extravasation process.

Cell Communication↗

Influence of non-volatile anesthetics on the migration behavior of the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-468.

BACKGROUND: Anesthetic agents are known to influence functions of the immune system. Anesthetic drugs also support cancer progression by suppressing the activity of immune cells. In breast carcinoma an increase in expression of peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptors (PBR) and the gamma aminobutyl acid (GABA) level has been discovered. Therefore, an investigation of a direct influence of GABA-A agonist propofol, GABA-A and PBR-agonist etomidate, and the local anesthetic drug lidocaine, which can also bind to the GABA-A receptor and PBR, on migration of breast carcinoma cells was performed. METHODS: MDA-MB-468 cells were incubated with anesthetic agents using clinically relevant concentrations (propofol 3, 6, 9 mg/l, etomidate 2, 3, 4 mg/l, and lidocaine 1.25, 2.5, 5 mg/l). Locomotion was investigated in a three-dimensional collagen matrix using time-lapse video microscopy and computer-assisted cell-tracking. RESULTS: The percentage of migrating cells (57.4+/-1.9) as well as the velocity (0.22+/-0.09 microm/min) and distance migrated (89.4+/-66.8 microm/10 h) increased in the presence of propofol in a dose-dependent manner (up to 74.4+/-7.5, 0.30+/-0.09, 143.8+/-89.1, respectively) compared with the long chain triglyceride (LCT) control. In contrast, no influence of etomidate on the number of migrating cells could be observed. The velocity and distance migrated at 3 and 4 mg/l were found to be statistically significantly enhanced. Treatment with lidocaine caused an increase in the percentage of migrating cells (up to 75.0+/-5.6) in velocity dose dependently (up to 0.33+/-0.06) and in distance migrated (up to 151.5+/-92.9). CONCLUSION: These results show that different anesthetic drugs are able to modulate the migratory machinery of human breast carcinoma cells in vitro.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Predictive laboratory diagnostics in oncology utilizing blood-borne cancer cells--current best practice and unmet needs.

The aim of laboratory diagnostics in oncology is to improve the clinical outcome of cancer by allowing earlier detection. Molecular knowledge of cancer should increase the number of risk and prognostic factors and will allow development of methods for detection and elimination of even very small tumors. Thus, the race for the specific tumor antigen in peripheral blood and the race for the blood-borne cancer cell happened simultaneously. The direct detection of the cells which have the highest probability to harbor all the properties mandatory to be life-threatening, conceivably metastatic, would be the most promising way to find the target structure of malignancy. Methods applying enrichment techniques based on density, morphology, tissue specific protein and tumor-associated protein detection enabled multi-parametric analysis of those blood-borne cancer cells. In exemplary studies it was demonstrated that the count of cell clusters positive for the tissue-specific proteins cytokeratin and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) from the peripheral blood of prostate cancer patients and a combination of a tissue-specific protein, a oncogenic receptor protein cytokeratin and p185(c-erbB-2) from the peripheral blood of breast cancer patients is related to the stage of the diseases. Breast cancer patients who presented with cytokeratin/p185(c-erbB-2) positive cell clusters showed a decrease of those cells under adriamycin adjuvant therapy. Nevertheless, additional molecular markers are required to characterize the functional properties of blood-borne cancer cells. Therefore, the genome of the cells can be investigated using a procedure for indirectly detecting aberrations of defined gene locations, i.e. multiplex microsatellite polymerase chain reaction. Up to now, the methods applied to the separation of blood-borne cancer cells are time-consuming and rather expensive. They consist of an initial enrichment step of density gradient centrifugation or buffy coat preparation followed by a specific isolation step using superparamagnetic microbeads coupled to antibodies, filter techniques or multi-parametric flow cytometry. Novel technologies have to be applied using miniaturization, integration and parallel-processing techniques based on those used in the computer industry to overcome the drawbacks.

Antigens, Neoplasm↗

Prevention of entrance into G2 cell cycle phase by mimosine decreases locomotion of cells from the tumor cell line SW480.

Cellular proliferation of tumor cells is thought to impede migratory activity. Using continuous single cell migration analysis of the colon carcinoma cell line SW480 for up to 72 h, we were able to show that cells locomote constantly and stop only for actual cell division. These findings indicate that proliferation (from G1 phase to early mitosis) and migration do occur simultaneously. The presence of the cell cycle marker Ki-67 in individual migrating cells substantiated this observation. Inhibition of cell cycle progression by mimosine (MIM), a reversible cell cycle blocker, reduced the percentage of migrating cells; release from MIM block restored migratory capacity. The corresponding cell cycle phase distributions were confirmed by flow cytometry. In our test system cell cycle events and migration were shown to occur at the same time. Interference with cell cycle progression reduced migratory activity indicating that migration depends on an unhampered cell cycle.

Cell Cycle↗

Migration and metalloproteinases determine the invasive potential of mouse melanoma cells, but not melanin and telomerase.

The biological characteristic cell locomotion and invasion, melanin content, metalloproteinases and telomerase activity were studied in a parental mouse melanoma cell line B16 and two descendents B16BL6 and B16F10. The invasive potential of melanoma cells was assayed in a transwell cell culture chamber. Melanin content was determined by the absorbance value at 470 nm per 10(6) cells. Tumor cells migration within the 3-D collagen matrix was microscopically recorded with a time-lapse video recorder and analyzed by computer-assisted cell tracking. Gelatin zymography was adopted to assay the metalloproteinases secretion. A polymerase chain reaction-based telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) was used for measuring telomerase activity. The results demonstrated that B16BL6 and B16F10 cells were highly invasive compared to B16 cells, but the melanin content of B16F10 was very low. B16F10 and B16BL6 were hypermotile and secreted much more metalloproteinases than B16. No differences were observed in telomerase activity among the three melanoma cell lines. Invasion of mouse melanoma was closely correlated to tumor cell migration and secretion of metalloproteinases. Melanin content and telomerase activity were phenotypically not related to invasiveness in these three mouse melanoma cell lines.

Animals↗

Genetic characterisation of invasive breast cancer: a comparison of CGH and PCR based multiplex microsatellite analysis.

AIMS: Comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH) is a reliable tool to gain an overview of all unbalanced chromosomal alterations within a tumour. Nevertheless, the high numbers of tumour cells required and the comparatively low resolution are drawbacks of this technique. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based multiplex microsatellite analysis represents a semi-automated, highly reproducible method, which requires small amounts of tumour cells. This is a comparative study of CGH and microsatellite analysis. METHODS: Eighty one samples of invasive breast cancer were investigated by two sensitive multiplex PCRs containing three microsatellites each of six markers (D6S261, D11S907, D6S300, D11S927, D8S272, and D11S925), and two additional microsatellite markers located within intron 1 of the epidermal growth factor receptor gene (egfr) and p53 (p53CA). RESULTS: At least one example of loss of heterozygosity was detectable in all breast cancer tissues. However, the overall rate of accordance between the two methods tested was only 61%. An increasing rate of the number of genetic alterations in each case was mirrored by a constantly increasing fractional allelic loss index. CONCLUSIONS: PCR based multiplex microsatellite analysis using this panel of eight microsatellite markers not only enables the characterisation of cells that have malignant potential in a high frequency of patients with breast cancer, but can also give an estimate of the degree of genetic progression.

Breast Neoplasms↗

T lymphocytes and neutrophil granulocytes differ in regulatory signaling and migratory dynamics with regard to spontaneous locomotion and chemotaxis.

Chemotactic migration of T lymphocytes and neutrophil granulocytes within a three-dimensional collagen matrix is distinct from spontaneous, matrix-induced migration concerning dynamic parameters and regulatory intracellular signaling. Both spontaneous T lymphocyte locomotion and stromal-cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1)-induced chemotaxis-involved protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) activity, whereas only SDF-1-induced migration was protein kinase C (PKC) dependent. Spontaneous locomotion of neutrophil granulocytes was independent of PKC and PTK activity, but formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine-induced migration involved PKC activity. In addition, the microtubule cytoskeleton was not changed after induction of chemotaxis in both cell types. T lymphocytes had a well-developed microtubule cytoskeleton with the microtubule organizing center located in the uropod, whereas neutrophil granulocytes revealed a clustered tubulin distribution at the leading edge of the migrating cell. Therefore, differences of the microtubule cytoskeleton might contribute to differences in locomotion between T lymphocytes and neutrophil granulocytes but not to differences between spontaneous locomotion and chemotaxis.

Cell Movement↗

Migration of dendritic cells within 3-D collagen lattices is dependent on tissue origin, state of maturation, and matrix structure and is maintained by proinflammatory cytokines.

The function of dendritic cells (DC) depends on active migration through three-dimensional (3-D) extracellular matrices. We have analyzed the migration of murine DC from different tissue origins within 3-D collagen lattices through the use of time-lapse videomicroscopy and single-cell tracking. Directly after incorporation, 50-90% of DC from the spleen (spDC) and Langerhans cells freshly isolated from the epidermis (fLC) displayed active motility in these matrices. Whereas mature spDC showed multilateral pseudopod dynamics as well as fast and heterogeneous migration, immature fLC displayed a spherical shape with faint membrane processes and very homogenous, slow migration characteristics. In the absence of external stimuli, migration of both, spDC and fLC, vanished after >36 h due to cell death. Maintaining fLC viability by external granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor or tumor necrosis factor alpha prolonged migration up to 5 days. During this period fLC transformed into mature cells with large dendrites, thereby developing a heterogeneous migration pattern more similar to spDC. In randomly polymerized collagen matrices cell paths were without preferential orientation. In contrast, in artificially aligned lattices directional paths in accordance with the forced fiber orientation were observed. Thus, migration is an inherent property of DC, largely influenced by tissue origin, degree of maturity, and the 3-D structure of the environment.

Animals↗

Locomotion of tumor cells: a molecular comparison to migrating pre- and postmitotic leukocytes.

Increasing evidence has shown that the molecular regulation of active cell migration of slow-moving cells, e.g., tumor cells and fibroblasts, is different from fast-moving leukocytes, e.g., T lymphocytes and neutrophil granulocytes. Slow-moving cells develop focal adhesions as a crucial regulatory element during migration. These focal adhesions connect the extracellular matrix to the intracellular actin- and tubulin-cytoskeleton via integrins and enzymatically active proteins. Beside matrix-binding integrins, ligands of receptor tyrosine kinases and heterotrimeric G protein-coupled serpentine receptors initiate migration of slow-moving cells. Focal adhesions are not found in T lymphocytes and neutrophil granulocytes moving within three-dimensional matrices. In T lymphocytes, the T cell receptor is supposed to have a key regulatory function not only in antigen recognition, cell activation, and proliferation but also in cell migration. Regulatory molecules as well as the cytoskeleton are connected to the T cell receptor. The T cell receptor functionally combines elements of receptor tyrosine kinase signaling and of focal adhesions. In neutrophil granulocytes no multi-protein complexes regulating migration have been identified so far. Most potent activators of migration of neutrophil granulocytes, as those of T lymphocytes, are chemokines binding to heterotrimeric G protein-coupled serpentine receptors.

Cell Adhesion↗

Antigen presentation in extracellular matrix: interactions of T cells with dendritic cells are dynamic, short lived, and sequential.

Cognate interactions of naive T cells with antigen-presenting dendritic cells require physical cell-cell contacts leading to signal induction and T cell activation. Using a three-dimensional collagen matrix videomicroscopy model for ovalbumin peptide-specific activation of murine and oxidative mitogenesis of human T cells, we show that T cells maintain vigorous migration upon cognate interactions to DC (dendritic cell), continuously crawl across the DC surface, and rapidly detach (median within 6-12 min). These dynamic and short-lived encounters favor sequential contacts with the same or other DC and trigger calcium influx, upregulation of activation markers, T blast formation, and proliferation. We conclude that a tissue environment supports the accumulation of sequential signals, implicating a numeric or "digital" control mechanism for an ongoing primary immune response.

Animals↗