Degradation of endothelial basement membrane by human breast cancer cell lines
During metastasis, it is believed that tumor cells destroy the basement membrane (BM) of blood vessels in order to disseminate through the circulatory system. By radioactively labeling the extracellular matrix produced by primary endothelial cells in vitro, the ability of human breast cancer cells to degrade BM components was studied. We found that T-47D, a human breast cancer line, was able to degrade significant amounts of (35S)methionine-labeled and (3H)proline-labeled BM, but not 35SO4-labeled BM. Six other tumor cell lines of human breast origin were assayed in the same manner and were found to degrade BM to varying degrees. Several non-tumor cell lines tested showed relatively little degrading activity. The use of serum-free medium greatly enhanced degradation of the BM by tumor cells, suggesting a role for naturally occurring enzyme inhibitors in the serum. Direct cell contact with the BM was required for BM degradation, suggesting that the active enzymes are cell associated. The addition of hormones implicated in the etiology of breast cancer did not significantly alter the ability of T-47D cells to degrade the BM. The use of this assay affords future studies on the mechanism of invasion and metastasis of human breast cancer.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Manitoba, Winnipeg
- OSTI ID:
- 5677331
- Journal Information:
- Cancer Res.; (United States), Journal Name: Cancer Res.; (United States)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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METASTASES
ETIOLOGY
BIODEGRADATION
BLOOD
BLOOD VESSELS
CARCINOMAS
CELL MEMBRANES
CULTURE MEDIA
ENDOTHELIUM
HORMONES
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MAMMARY GLANDS
METHIONINE
SULFUR 35
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
TUMOR CELLS
AMINO ACIDS
ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMAL TISSUES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BODY
BODY FLUIDS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
CELL CONSTITUENTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DECOMPOSITION
DISEASES
DRUGS
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
GLANDS
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
LIPOTROPIC FACTORS
MATERIALS
MEMBRANES
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEI
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
RADIOISOTOPES
SULFUR ISOTOPES
TISSUES
550901* - Pathology- Tracer Techniques