Selection of human ovarian carcinoma cells with high dissemination potential by repeated passage of the cells in vivo into nude mice, and involvement of Le(x)-determinant in the dissemination potential.
Cells of the human tumor cell line RMG-1, derived from a clear-cell adenocarcinoma of the ovary, were injected intraperitoneally into nude mice, and the cells obtained from the tumor nodules in the mesenterium were found to form a larger number of, and larger-sized, tumor nodules than the original RMG-1 cells. The RMG-1-h cells, transferred into culture from the tumor nodules after a 4th in vivo passage, showed a dissemination potential as high as that of cells disseminating directly from the tissues, and exceedingly higher than that of RMG-1 cells. To assess the molecular bases of the different biological properties of RMG-1 and RMG-1-h cells, we compared the content and expression of various carbohydrate antigens in both cells. The chromosomal profile of RMG-1-h cells revealed their human origin and was identical to that of the original RMG-1 cells. In contrast to the broad histogram for the Le(x)-bearing cells among RMG-1 cells in flow cytometry, the weakly and moderately positive cells toward anti-Le(x) antibody were found to be eliminated from the histogram for the RMG-1-h cells, resulting in the enrichment of cells strongly expressing Le(x), which may account for the high dissemination potential. In addition, the adhesion of RMG-1 cells to mesothelial cells was found to be significantly inhibited by pretreatment of the cells with anti-Le(x) antibody, indicating Le(x)-mediated cell-to-cell interaction between ovarian cancer cells and mesothelial cells. By TLC-immunostaining, two Le(x)-glycolipids, III3Fuc alpha-nLc4Cer and V3Fuc alpha-nLc6Cer were detected in both RMG-1 and RMG-1-h cells, and their total concentrations were not significantly different from each other. However, the hydrophobic moieties of Le(x)-glycolipids in RMG-1-h cells were different from those in RMG-1 cells, suggesting that a difference in the structure of the hydrophobic moieties of Le(x) is partly involved in the enhanced reactivity of RMG-1-h cells toward anti-Le(x) antibody. Thus, the high dissemination potential of ovarian cancer cells was shown to be mediated by the Le(x)-determinant and the Le(x)-bearing cells are enriched by repeated in vivo passage of the cells into nude mice.
Kiguchi
K
K
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Toyoko Hospital, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kanagawa.
Iwamori
M
M
Mochizuki
Y
Y
Kishikawa
T
T
Tsukazaki
K
K
Saga
M
M
Amemiya
A
A
Nozawa
S
S
D018262:Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002469:Cell Separation; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007621:Karyotyping; D016256:Lewis X Antigen / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D016339:Spectrometry, Mass, Fast Atom Bombardment; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D006017:Glycolipids; D016256:Lewis X Antigen