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Related Experiment Videos

Electro-physiological measurements in cultured cellular spheroids.

H Acker, J Carlsson, C G Stålnacke

    Acta Pathologica, Microbiologica, Et Immunologica Scandinavica. Section A, Pathology
    |March 1, 1983
    PubMed
    Summary

    In poorly vascularized tumors, many viable-looking cells lack normal metabolism and proliferative capacity. This suggests that the number of cells capable of contributing to tumor growth may be overestimated based on morphology alone.

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    Area of Science:

    • Oncology
    • Cell Biology
    • Biophysics

    Background:

    • Solid tumors often exhibit poorly vascularized regions with nodular structures.
    • Assessing the true metabolic and proliferative capacity of cells in these regions is crucial for understanding tumor growth and treatment response.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the electrophysiological activity and proliferative status of cells within spheroids modeling poorly vascularized tumor regions.
    • To compare morphological viability with functional cellular activity in these simulated tumor microenvironments.

    Main Methods:

    • Utilized human glioma (U-118 MG) and hamster (V-79-379A) spheroids as models.
    • Employed microelectrodes to measure potassium (K+) and calcium (Ca2+) ion activities and membrane potentials at varying depths.

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  • Analyzed both stable and peak electrophysiological values to estimate the number of active cells.

    • Main Results:

    • The proportion of electrophysiologically active cells significantly decreased with depth in the spheroids.
    • Despite morphological viability, the number of proliferative cells also diminished with depth, mirroring the decrease in active cells.
    • While K+ activity and membrane potential amplitudes remained consistent, Ca2+ activity showed considerable cell-to-cell variation.

    Conclusions:

    • Morphological assessment alone may overestimate the number of metabolically active and proliferative cells in poorly vascularized tumor areas.
    • The functional capacity of cells, not just their appearance, is critical for accurately estimating tumor growth potential.
    • These findings highlight the importance of considering cellular electrophysiology and metabolism for a more precise evaluation of tumor characteristics.