EFFECT OF MRC-5 FIBROBLAST CONDITIONED MEDIUM ON BREAST-CANCER CELL MOTILITY AND INVASION IN-VITRO

We used Transwell chambers to study separately cellular motility and i nvasion. In order to assess the cellular motility, polycarbonate micro porous filters were coated with extracellular matrix proteins which ad sorbed on the filters without clogging the pores. To investigate the i nvasive behavior of tumor cells, filters were covered with a layer of Matrigel which clogged the pores. The motility and the invasion of bre ast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, MCF-7/6 and MCF-7/AZ cells) were as sessed quantitatively in different culture media: defined (serum-free) , serum-containing and normal human fibroblast MRC-5 conditioned media . In serum-containing medium, tumor cells migrated and invaded through the coated and covered filters. Their motility and invasion potential s were considerably lower in defined medium, whereas medium conditione d by MRC-5 fibroblasts stimulated both motility and invasion but not g rowth. The MRC-5 conditioned medium induced also the spreading of clus ters of MCF-7/6 cells grown on Matrigel-coated plates. (C) 1998 Rapid Science Ltd.