The mitogenic and anti‐apoptotic activity of tumor conditioned medium on endothelium

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Li, Ailing | Li, Hongwei | Zhang, Jing | Jin, Gang | Xiu, Ruijuan^;

Affiliations: Institute of Microcirculation, Chinese Academy Medical Sciences (CAMS) and Peking Union Medical College (PUMC), Beijing 100005, China | Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China

Note: [] Corresponding author. E‐mail: xiurj@yahoo.com.cn.

Abstract: This study was designed to observe the effect of tumor conditioned medium (TCM) on the proliferation and apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). HUVECs were exposed to TCM from breast carcinoma cell line MDA‐MB‐231, then we measured their proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle distribution by MTT and flow cytometery (FCM). Following the stimulation of TCM, HUVECs showed higher pro‐mitogenic and anti‐apoptotic ability than did the negative control group (ECGF‐free medium with 20% FBS), but a similar ability to the positive control group (medium with ECGF and 20% FBS). From these results, we can conclude that breast carcinoma cell line MDA‐MB‐231 could secret soluble pro‐angiogenic factors that induce HUVEC angiogenic switching, including cell cycle progression, proliferation and growth. The role and character of these factors remain to be further studied.

Keywords: Tumor conditioned medium, endothelium, proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle

Journal: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. 29, no. 3-4, pp. 375-382, 2003