Sodium channel protein expression enhances the invasiveness of rat and human prostate cancer cells.
Expression of Na+ channel protein was analysed in established cell lines of rat and human prostatic carcinoma origin by flow cytometry using a fluorescein-labelled polyclonal antibody. In many cell lines examined, the obtained frequency distribution profiles were bimodal and identified a subpopulation of cells which expressed high levels of Na+ channel protein. A significant positive correlation was demonstrated between the proportion of channel-expressing cells and the functional ability of individual cell lines to invade a basement membrane matrix in vitro. In addition, two transfectant cell lines containing rat prostate cancer genomic DNA were found to express significantly elevated levels of Na+ channel protein when compared with the original benign recipient cell line. Enhanced Na+ channel expression by two metastatic derivatives of these transfectant cells directly correlated with increased invasiveness in vitro. These studies strongly support the hypothesis that expression of Na+ channel protein and the metastatic behaviour of prostatic carcinoma cells are functionally related, either by endowing the membranes of these cells with specialised electrophysiological properties (e.g. enhancing their motility and/or secretory activities) and/or by perturbing endogenous mechanisms regulating ionic homeostasis within the cells.
Smith
P
P
Department of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, University of Liverpool, UK. phsmith@Liverpool.ac.uk
Rhodes
N P
NP
Shortland
A P
AP
Fraser
S P
SP
Djamgoz
M B
MB
Ke
Y
Y
Foster
C S
CS
D000818:Animals; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D015222:Sodium Channels