EFFECT OF HEPATOCYTE GROWTH-FACTOR SCATTER FACTOR AND OTHER GROWTH-FACTORS ON MOTILITY AND MORPHOLOGY OF NONTUMORIGENIC AND TUMOR-CELLS

Using an automated cell analyzer system, the effect of hepatocyte grow th factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), basi c fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), endothelial acidic fibroblast growt h factor (a-FGF), platelet derived growth factor (PDGF), and recombina nt human insulinlike growth factor (IGF) on the motility and morpholog y of Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK), rat hepatomas, C-2, and H-5-6 a nd murine mammary carcinoma (EMT-6) cells was investigated. Treatment of MDCK cells with HGF/SF, bFGF, EGF, and a-FGF resulted in an increas e in average cell velocity and in the fraction of moving cells. Cells treated with the PDGF and IGF did not show significant alterations in velocity. MDCK cells treated with each growth factor were classified i nto groups of ''fast'' and ''slow'' moving cells based on their averag e velocities, and the average morphologic features of the two groups w ere quantitated. Fast-moving cells had larger average area, circularit y, and flatness as compared to slow-moving cells. Factors that stimula ted cell movement also induced alterations in cell morphologic paramet ers including spreading, flatness, area, and circularity. HGF/SF also scattered and stimulated motility of C, and H-5-6 hepatoma cells. In c ontrast to MUCK cells, there was no significant difference between the morphology of the fast moving and slow moving C-2 and H-5-6 cells. Th ese studies suggest that growth factor cytokines have specific effects on motility of normal and tumor cells.