Carter JC, Campbell RA, Gibbons JA, Gramling MW, Wolberg AS, Church FC. Enhanced cell-associated plasminogen activator pathway but not coagulation pathway activity contributes to motility in metastatic breast cancer cells.
J Thromb Haemost 2010;
8:1323-32. [PMID:
20180817 DOI:
10.1111/j.1538-7836.2010.03825.x]
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Abstract
BACKGROUND
Activation of tumor cell-associated coagulation and plasminogen activator pathways occurs in malignant disease processes, including breast cancer, and may promote metastatic activity.
OBJECTIVES/METHODS
To compare the coagulation and plasminogen activator pathways of normal and metastatic cells, we examined two cell lines from the MCF-10 family of breast cells: near-normal immortalized MCF-10A cells, and metastatic MCF-10CA1 cells.
RESULTS
MCF-10CA1 cell motility was significantly increased as compared with that of MCF-10A cells. The two cell types supported similar rates of factor Xa generation, plasma thrombin generation, and fibrin formation. MCF-10A cells produced a stable fibrin network, whereas MCF-10CA1 cells lysed the surrounding fibrin network within 24 h of network formation. Importantly, fibrin located proximal to (within 10 microm) the MCF-10CA1 cell surface lysed substantially faster than fibrin located 100 microm from the surface. MCF-10CA1 cells supported significantly increased plasmin generation rates as compared with MCF-10A cells, providing a mechanism for the increased fibrinolytic activity of these cells towards the fibrin network. Metastatic MCF-10CA1 cells had increased expression (mRNA and protein) levels of urokinase plasminogen activator (u-PA) and decreased levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 as compared with MCF-10A cells. Blocking u-PA activity with the active site-directed protease inhibitor amiloride substantially decreased MCF-10CA1 cell motility. Phosphorylated Akt levels were elevated in MCF-10CA1 cells, which partially explains the increased u-PA expression.
CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that the tumor-associated plasminogen activator pathway, not the coagulation pathway, is a key distinguishing feature between metastatic MCF10-CA1 cells and normal MCF-10A cells.
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