title: Differential behaviour of normal, transformed and Fanconi's anemia lymphoblastoid cells to modeled microgravity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Whether microgravity might influence tumour growth and carcinogenesis is still an open issue. It is not clear also if and how normal and transformed cells are differently solicited by microgravity. The present study was designed to verify this issue.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two normal, LB and HSC93, and two transformed, Jurkat and 1310, lymphoblast cell lines were used as representative for the two conditions. Two lymphoblast lines from Fanconi's anemia patients group A and C (FA-A and FA-C, respectively), along with their isogenic corrected counterparts (FA-A-cor and FA-C-cor) were also used. Cell lines were evaluated for their proliferative ability, vitality and apoptotic susceptibility upon microgravity exposure in comparison with unexposed cells. Different parameters correlated to energy metabolism, glucose consumption, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), intracellular ATP content, red-ox balance and ability of the cells to repair the DNA damage product 8-OHdG induced by the treatment of the cells with 20 mM KBrO3 were also evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Transformed Jurkat and 1310 cells appear resistant to the microgravitational challenge. On the contrary normal LB and HSC93 cells display increased apoptotic susceptibility, shortage of energy storages and reduced ability to cope with oxidative stress. FA-A and FA-C cells appear resistant to microgravity exposure, analogously to transformed cells. FA corrected cells did shown intermediate sensitivity to microgravity exposure suggesting that genetic correction does not completely reverts cellular phenotype.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the light of the reported results microgravity should be regarded as an harmful condition either when considering normal as well as transformed cells. Modeled microgravity and space-based technology are interesting tools in the biomedicine laboratory and offer an original, useful and unique approach in the study of cellular biochemistry and in the regulation of metabolic pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Prevention and Special Functions, National Institute for Cancer Research (IST), Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cuccarolo
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barbieri
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sancandi
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Viaggi
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Degan
mesh_terms: D000080242:8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003849:Deoxyguanosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D005199:Fanconi Anemia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005947:Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D019169:Jurkat Cells / Q000502:physiology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D053078:Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial / Q000502:physiology; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000032:analysis; D014893:Weightlessness / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D000080242:8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases; D003849:Deoxyguanosine; D005947:Glucose