Bioenergetics of rat prostate cancer cell migration

A 3D hybrid model for tissue growth: the interplay between cell population and mass transport dynamics

To provide theoretical guidance for the design and in vitro cultivation of bioartificial tissues, we have developed a multiscale computational model that can describe the complex interplay between cell population and mass transport dynamics that governs the growth of tissues in three-dimensional scaffolds. The model has three components: a transient partial differential equation for the simultaneous diffusion and consumption of a limiting nutrient; a cellular automaton describing cell migration, proliferation, and collision; and equations that quantify how the varying nutrient concentration modulates cell division and migration. The hybrid discrete-continuous model was parallelized and solved on a distributed-memory multicomputer to study how transport limitations affect tissue regeneration rates under conditions encountered in typical bioreactors. Simulation results show that the severity of transport limitations can be estimated by the magnitude of two dimensionless groups: the Thiele modulus and the Biot number. Key parameters including the initial seeding mode, cell migration speed, and the hydrodynamic conditions in the bioreactor are shown to affect not only the overall rate, but also the pattern of tissue growth. This study lays the groundwork for more comprehensive models that can handle mixed cell cultures, multiple nutrients and growth factors, and other cellular processes, such as cell death.

Effect of metabolic inhibitors on ATP and citrate content in PC3 prostate cancer cells

BACKGROUND

In normal prostate epithelial cells low m-aconitase activity decreases citrate oxidation leading to citrate accumulation. In prostate cancer cells m-aconitase activity is increased and citrate content is lower. The effect of inhibition of m-aconitase on ATP production by prostate cancer cells (PC3) is not known nor is the contribution of glycolysis versus respiration.

METHODS

ATP content of PC3 cells as affected by inhibition of m-aconitase (fluoroacetate (FA), zinc), inhibition of glycolysis (2DxG), or respiration (DNP, oligomycin) was determined. The ability to maintain ATP using glucose or glutamine as sole substrate was also determined. Intermediates including ATP, lactate, glucose, and glutamine were assayed in neutralized perchloric acid (PCA) cell extracts, virgin, and conditioned medium by enzymatic fluorometry.

RESULTS

Data show that inhibition of m-aconitase, glycolysis, or respiration alone did not decrease ATP content. Inhibition of both glycolysis and respiration were required to decrease ATP content. PC3 cells were able to produce ATP with either glucose or glutamine as sole substrate. Though FA clearly inhibited m-aconitase there was no evidence that zinc had a similar effect.

CONCLUSION

PC3 cells can support ATP production when m-aconitase is inhibited by using glycolysis or oxidation of substrate (e.g., glutamine) entering the TCA cycle distal to citrate.

Cell population dynamics modulate the rates of tissue growth processes

The development and testing of a discrete model describing the dynamic process of tissue growth in three-dimensional scaffolds is presented. The model considers populations of cells that execute persistent random walks on the computational grid, collide, and proliferate until they reach confluence. To isolate the effect of population dynamics on tissue growth, the model assumes that nutrient and growth factor concentrations remain constant in space and time. Simulations start either by distributing the seed cells uniformly and randomly throughout the scaffold, or from an initial condition designed to simulate the migration and cell proliferation phase of wound healing. Simulations with uniform seeding show that cell migration enhances tissue growth by counterbalancing the adverse effects of contact inhibition. This beneficial effect, however, diminishes and disappears completely for large migration speeds. By contrast, simulations with the "wound" seeding mode show a continual enhancement of tissue regeneration rates with increasing cell migration speeds. We conclude that cell locomotory parameters and the spatial distribution of seed cells can have profound effects on the dynamics of the process and, consequently, on the pattern and rates of tissue growth. These results can guide the design of experiments for testing the effectiveness of biomimetic modifications for stimulating tissue growth.

Modulation of mitochondrial aconitase on the bioenergy of human prostate carcinoma cells

A bioenergetic theory of prostate malignancy proposed that normal citrate-producing prostate epithelial cell become citrate-oxidizing cells, in which mitochondrial aconitase (mACON) is not limiting, providing the energy required for the onset and progression of malignancy and metastasis. However, no direct evidence has been approved to support the hypothesis. A full-length cDNA encoding human skeletal muscle mACON cDNA was cloned and sequenced. mACON cDNA contains 19-bp 5' untranslated region, a 2343-bp coding segment, and 376-bp 3' untranslated region. This precursor enzyme contains mitochondrial targeting sequence of 27 amino acid residues and mature enzyme of 753 amino acids residues. A human anti-mACON overexpression vector containing the 1171-bp mACON cDNA fragment in the reverse orientation was stable transfected into human prostate carcinoma cells, PC-3 and DU145 cells. Results showed that mACON antisense blocked 40-60% mACON expression and enzymatic activity which induced decrease in the intracellular ATP biosynthesis but increase citrate secretion in the human prostate carcinoma cells. mACON antisense-transfected cells have lower cell proliferation ratio than the mock of DNA-transfected cells. Our study demonstrated the key role of the mACON in the cellular bioenergy and cell proliferation of human prostate carcinoma cells.

Energy dependence of restitution in the gastric mucosa

Rapid epithelial repair (restitution) after injury is required to maintain barrier function of the gastrointestinal mucosa and skin and is thought to be a highly ATP-dependent process that would be inhibited under hypoxic conditions. However, little is known about the metabolic pathways required for restitution. Thus, this study was undertaken to evaluate, in vitro, the role of oxidative respiration and glycolysis in restitution after injury. To this end, restitution of the bullfrog gastric mucosa was evaluated under the following conditions: 1) blockade of mitochondrial respiration; 2) blockade of glycolysis; or 3) absence of glucose. The extent of mucosal repair after injury was evaluated by electrophysiology and morphology. Cell migration, repolarization, and the formation of tight junctions after injury occurred during blockade of mitochondrial respiration, whereas the recovery of mucosal barrier function did not. In contrast, glycolytic inhibition completely blocked all aspects of restitution by inhibiting the migration of surface epithelial cells. Restitution occurred in tissues incubated with glucose-free solutions, suggesting that cells contain sufficient glucose (glycogen) to drive glycolysis for many hours. Our results demonstrate that the glycolytic pathway is essential for restitution after injury in the bullfrog gastric mucosa and that all but complete repair of barrier function occurs in the absence of mitochondrial respiration.

Real-time measurements of cellular oxygen consumption, pH, and energy metabolism using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Changes in molecular expression or apoptotic behavior, induced by malignant transformation or anticancer treatment, are frequently reflected in cellular metabolism and oxygen consumption. A technique to monitor oxygen consumption, cell physiology, and metabolism noninvasively would provide a better understanding of interactions between molecular changes and metabolism in malignant transformation and following cancer treatment. Such a system was developed in this study by adapting multinuclear MRI and spectroscopic techniques to an isolated cell perfusion system. The system was evaluated by studying the effects of two agents, carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) which is an uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation, and antimycin, an inhibitor of oxidative phosphorylation, on the oxygen consumption and metabolism of MCF-7 and MatLyLu cancer cell lines.

Regulation of prostate cancer cell division by glucose

Previous studies have shown that rapid cell proliferation is associated with elevated glucose consumption. However, those studies did not establish whether glucose is required for prostate cancer cell proliferation or define the molecular mechanisms by which glucose regulates cell division. We addressed these issues by studying two metastatic human prostate cancer cell lines: DU145, which is androgen independent and highly proliferative; and LNCaP, which is androgen dependent and relatively slow growing. We found that proliferation of DU145 cells was significantly inhibited by reduction of glucose in the medium to 0.5 g/L, which is half the physiologic concentration, whereas LNCaP cells grew at control rates even in the presence of only 0.05 g/L glucose. Glucose deprivation of DU145 cells caused a 90% reduction in DNA synthesis; a 10-20-fold reduction in cyclins D and E and CDK4 levels; and cell cycle arrest in G0-G1. However, glucose deprivation did not cause global inhibition of protein synthesis, since mutant p53 levels increased in glucose-deprived DU145 cells. This observed increase in mutant p53 levels was not associated with a rise in p21 levels. Glucose deprivation of DU145 cells also led to apparent dephosphorylation of mutant retinoblastoma (RB) protein. We conclude that: 1) high levels of glucose consumption are required for rapid proliferation of androgen-independent prostate cancer cells, 2) glucose may not be required for slow growth of androgen-dependent prostate cancer cells, and 3) glucose promotes passage of cells through early G1 by increasing the expression of several key cell cycle regulatory proteins that normally inhibit RB function.