Background: To explore the effect of vinblastine on the viscoelastic properties of highmetastatic human giant cell carcinoma cells ( PC) and low metastatic adenocarcinoma cells (PAa) of the lung and its biomechanical mechanisms.
Methods: The viscoelastic properties of PG and PAa cells and their changes after treated with vinblastine (VCR, 0. 10-2. 00Lg/ml) were detected by micropipette aspiration technique. Viscoelasticity was analyzed by the special three-element standard linear solid model.
Results: Before treated with VCR, the elastic coefficients K1 and K2 as well as viscous coefficient L of PAa were significantly higher than those of PG cells. The values of K1, K2 and L of PAa cells decreased along with the increase of VCR concentration. However, the viscoelastic coefficient values in PG cells decreased when the VCR concentration was lower than 1. 00Lg/ml and then turned to increase as concentration of VCR went on increasing. The microtubules and microfilaments were sparse random in the PAa cells and diminished in PG cells. After treated with VCR, they were cut down seriously in PAa cells, and manifestations of mitotic arrest of cell cycle increased unusually in PG cells.
Conclusions: The cytoskeleton structure component changes are related to the viscoelasticity of the tumor cells. The anti-neoplasm actions of cytoskeleton interferents such as VCR might be realized by mainly regulating the message of tumor cells growth and differentiation.