Imaging prostate cancer invasion with multi-nuclear magnetic resonance methods: The metabolic Boyden Chamber

The physiological milieu within solid tumors can influence invasion and met astasis. To determine the impact of the physiological environment and cellu lar metabolism on cancer cell invasion, it is necessary to measure invasion during well-controlled modulation of the physiological environment. Recent ly, we demonstrated that magnetic resonance imaging can be used to monitor cancer cell invasion into a Matrigel layer [Artemov D, Pilatus U, Chou S, M ori N, Nelson JB, and Bhujwalla ZM (1999), Dynamics of prostate cancer cell invasion studied in vitro by NMR microscopy. Mag Res Med 42, 277-282.]. He re we have developed an invasion assay ("Metabolic Boyden Chamber") that co mbines this capability with the properties of our isolated cell perfusion s ystem. Long-term experiments can be performed to determine invasion as well as cellular metabolism under controlled environmental conditions. To chara cterize the assay, we performed experiments with prostate cancer cell lines preselected for different invasive characteristics. The results showed inv asion into, and degradation of the Matrigel layer, by the highly invasive/m etastatic line (MatLyLu), whereas no significant changes were observed for the less invasive/metastatic cell line (DU-145). With this assay, invasion and metabolism was measured dynamically, together with oxygen tensions with in the cellular environment and within the Matrigel layer. Such a system ca n be used to identify physiological and metabolic characteristics that prom ote invasion, and evaluate therapeutic interventions to inhibit invasion.