title: Cell migration in BeWo cells and the role of epithelial sodium channels.
abstract: Cell migration/proliferation processes associated with wound healing were measured in BeWo cells at 6 h, when mitosis is still scarce. Cells were cultured in medium with 1% fetal bovine serum to minimize proliferation. BeWo cell migration covered 20.6 +/- 7.0%, 38.0 +/- 5.4%, 16.6 +/- 4.8% and 13.7 +/- 3.6% of the wound when cultivated under control, aldosterone (100 nM, 12 h), aldosterone plus amiloride (10 muM) and amiloride treatments, respectively. When BeWo cells were treated with aldosterone, there was an increase in wound healing (P < 0.05), which was prevented by adding the ENaC blocker amiloride (P < 0.05, n = 16). Immunocytochemistry studies showed that the three ENaC subunits showed greater expression at the leading edge of the wound 3 h after injury, supporting the notion that these proteins participate in a postinjury signal. Antisense oligonucleotides directed against the alpha-ENaC subunit decreased the migratory response of the cells compared to the sense treated cells or the cells without oligonucleotides (P < 0.001, n = 16): 30.2 +/- 3.7%, 17.6 +/- 1.3%, 27.5 +/- 1.5% and 20.2 +/- 1.5% reinvasion of the wound with aldosterone, aldosterone plus antisense, aldosterone plus sense treatments and control conditions, respectively. Aldosterone and amiloride influence wound healing in BeWo cells, probably by their effects upon ENaCs, transmitting a signal to the cell cytoplasm for the release of several agents that promote cell migration.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Canales Iónicos, Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas A. Lanari, Universidad de Buenos Aires, C. de Malvinas 3150, 1427 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Silvana M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Del Mónaco
authors.forename: Gabriela I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Marino
authors.forename: Yanina A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Assef
authors.forename: Alicia E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Damiano
authors.forename: Basilio A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Kotsias
mesh_terms: D000450:Aldosterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D053503:Epithelial Sodium Channels / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000494:pharmacology; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D053503:Epithelial Sodium Channels; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D000450:Aldosterone