Spatial composition of prostate cancer spheroids in mixed and static cultures

Aggregation of neoplastic cells produces multicellular spheroids resembling micrometastases. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of mixing culture medium on the spatial composition of spheroids prepared from well (LNCaP) and poorly (DU 145) differentiated human prostate cancer cells. Spheroids were cultured in a mixed suspension within a high-aspect rotating wall vessel and static liquid-overlay plate. Results from this study demonstrate that mixed cultures consistently manifested differences in morphology and composition between DU 145 and LNCaP spheroids. For example, 40 +/- 12% of DU 145 cells were Ki-67 positive 100 microm from the surface within mixed spheroids versus 0% for LNCaP cells; there was no significant difference in this spatial profile for static cultures. The results suggest that poorly differentiated spheroids may be more likely to experience a change in composition from mixing culture medium than well-differentiated spheroids, due to low tissue density. Immunostaining for P-glycoprotein is representative of this trend; average staining intensity increased 50% for DU 145 spheroids on mixing but was unchanged for LNCaP spheroids. The effects of mixing on spheroid composition were attributed to faster interstitial mass transport. Applications include drug development and delivery, as well as basic research on drug action and resistance.