The effect of chitosan on stiffness and glycolytic activity of human bladder cells

The cell's cytoskeleton together with the cell membrane and numerous access ory proteins determines the mechanical properties of cell. Any factors infl uencing cell organization and structure can cause alterations in mechanical properties of cell (its ability for deformation and adhesion). The determi nation of the local elastic properties of cells in their culture conditions has opened the possibility for the measurement of the influence of differe nt factors on the mechanical properties of the living cells. The effect of the chitosan on the stiffness of the non-malignant transitional epithelial cells of ureter (HCV 29) and the transitional cell cancer of urine bladder (T24) was determined using scanning force microscopy. The investigations we re performed in the culture medium (RPMI 1640) containing 10% fetal calf se rum in the presence of the microcrystalline chitosan of the three different deacetylation degrees. In parallel, the effect of chitosan on production o f lactate and ATP level was determined. The results showed the strong corre lation between the decrease of the energy production and the increase in Yo ung's modulus values obtained for the cancer cells treated with chitosan. ( C) 2001 Elsevier Science BN. All rights reserved.