[Influence of breast carcinoma cells on normal endothelial cells: experimental study with a co-culture system].
OBJECTIVE
To study the influence of breast carcinoma cells on normal endothelial cells.


METHODS
Human endothelial cells were isolated from umbilical cord blood. Medium Z-MCF-7-EC was established and was used to co-culture the normal endothelium cells (ECs) and human breast cancer cells of the line MCF-7. Normal endothelial cells cultured by itself were used as control. Light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to observe the morphology of the 2 kinds of endothelial cells. Expression of the genes ESM, IGFBP-3, alphavbeta3, VE-C, and Tie-2-2 was analyzed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR using a house-keeping gene beta(2m) as inner reference gene.


RESULTS
The ECs co-cultured with MCF-7 breast cancer cells were abnormal in shape with increased size of nucleus and nucleolus, increased size ratio of nuclear to nucleoplasm, increased depth of surface fenestration, loosed and distorted endoplasm, increased size of cell-cell junctions, decreased number of surface microvilli, and tubules formed by ECs. The expression values of the genes ESM, IGFBP-3, alphavbeta3, VE-C, and Tie-2-2 in the ECs co-cultured with MCF-7 breast cancer cells were all up-regulated in comparison with those in the controls (P < 0.01, P < 0.05, P < 0.01, P < 0.01, and P < 0.05 respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Breast cancer cells promote formation of new vessels with endothelial cells different from the normal ECs in character and behavior.
Zhang
Hong-gang
HG
Institute of Microcirculation, Peking Union Medical College & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100005, China.
Zhang
Jing
J
Xing
Fei-hong
FH
Li
Hong-wei
HW
Xiu
Rui-juan
RJ
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D014471:Umbilical Veins / Q000166:cytology