<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><sec><h3>Background</h3><p>Serum starvation is mostly considered as a standard preparatory method in many cellular and molecular experiments. However, recent studies give some evidence that serum starvation is a major event that triggers various cell responses and has therefore great potential to change and interfere with the experimental results. In this study, the behavior of breast cancer cells in serum-starved condition was examined.</p></sec><sec><h3>Objective</h3><p>To focus on the role of serum starvation on cell migration and also the possible changes in the expression and secretion of genes and cytokines mostly involved in migration and chemotaxis of breast cancer cells.</p></sec><sec><h3>Methods</h3><p>MDA-MB-231 cells were cultured under serum-starved condition. Transwell migration assay was performed to evaluate the effect of serum starvation on cell migration after 24, 48, and 72 h. The transcriptional expression of migration-related genes was evaluated using real-time polymerase chain reaction. The cytokine secretion was also analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.</p></sec><sec><h3>Results</h3><p>Serum starvation suppressed cell migration in breast cancer cells. Additionally, the gene expression of markers involved in migration including β-catenin, twist, zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1, vimentin, fibronectin, intercellular adhesion molecule 1, and vascular endothelial growth factor were downregulated. Moreover, cytokines of transforming growth factor, beta 1, matrix metallopeptidase 9, interleukin 8, and nitric oxide were differentially secreted.</p></sec><sec><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Serum deprivation causes significant changes in cancer cell migration and also the expression of migration-related genes and cytokines, special care needs to be taken when this practice is used as preparatory method especially in migration and chemotaxis experiments on cancer cells.</p></sec></abstract>

BackgroundSerum starvation is mostly considered as a standard preparatory method in many cellular and molecular experiments. However, recent studies give some evidence that serum starvation is a major event that triggers various cell responses and has therefore great potential to change and interfere with the experimental results. In this study, the behavior of breast cancer cells in serum-starved condition was examined.ObjectiveTo focus on the role of serum starvation on cell migration and also the possible changes in the expression and secretion of genes and cytokines mostly involved in migration and chemotaxis of breast cancer cells.MethodsMDA-MB-231 cells were cultured under serum-starved condition. Transwell migration assay was performed to evaluate the effect of serum starvation on cell migration after 24, 48, and 72 h. The transcriptional expression of migration-related genes was evaluated using real-time polymerase chain reaction. The cytokine secretion was also analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.ResultsSerum starvation suppressed cell migration in breast cancer cells. Additionally, the gene expression of markers involved in migration including β-catenin, twist, zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1, vimentin, fibronectin, intercellular adhesion molecule 1, and vascular endothelial growth factor were downregulated. Moreover, cytokines of transforming growth factor, beta 1, matrix metallopeptidase 9, interleukin 8, and nitric oxide were differentially secreted.ConclusionsSerum deprivation causes significant changes in cancer cell migration and also the expression of migration-related genes and cytokines, special care needs to be taken when this practice is used as preparatory method especially in migration and chemotaxis experiments on cancer cells.

Differential migration-related gene expression and altered cytokine secretion in response to serum starvation in cultured MDA-MB-231 cells

Clinical Research Development Unit, Imam Hossein Hospital

Asian Biomedicine

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

BackgroundSerum starvation is mostly considered as a standard preparatory method in many cellular and molecular experiments. However, recent studies give some...

Differential migration-related gene expression and altered cytokine secretion in response to serum starvation in cultured MDA-MB-231 cells

Article Category: Original article

Published Online: Mar 31, 2020

Page range: 123 - 129

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/abm-2019-0051

Keywords
breast neoplasms, cell movement, epithelial mesenchymal transition

© 2019 Naghmeh Ahmadiankia et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Differential migration-related gene expression and altered cytokine secretion in response to serum starvation in cultured MDA-MB-231 cells

Article Category: Original article

Published Online: Mar 31, 2020

Page range: 123 - 129

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/abm-2019-0051

Keywordsbreast neoplasms, cell movement, epithelial mesenchymal transition

© 2019 Naghmeh Ahmadiankia et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
breast neoplasms, cell movement, epithelial mesenchymal transition