[Studies on the gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) of human stomach carcinoma cells in comparison with normal cells and the effect of the tumor promoter, TPA].

This work was conducted by using a rapid and simple technique, scrape-loading and dye transfer (SLDT) to study GJIC of human stomach carcinoma MGC-803 cells in comparison with normal WB rat liver cells, Chinese hamster V79 cells and a primary culture of chicken embryonic myoblasts. Cells were plated and grown overnight to confluency in 35 mm plastic dishes in appropriate media. Monolayered cells, after rinsing in PBS, were immersed in the mixed 0.05% Lucifer Yellow (MW 457.2) and 0.05% Rhodamine-Dextran (MW. 10,000) in PBS. Scrape loading was performed by utilization of a sharp knife. Cells were incubated in dye solution for an additional 3 min. at room temperature before rinsing with PBS and observation under fluorescent microscope. Cells competent in GJIC showed transfer of Lucifer Yellow from the injured border to interior cells while the high MW. Rhodamine-Dextran dye stayed in situ in the loaded cells. Cells incompetent in GJIC did not show dye transfer; both Lucifer Yellow and Rhodamine-Dtranex were retained in the original loaded cells of the injured border. The background cell monolayer away from the scrape line was dark indicating that none of the dye molecules could permeate through cell membrane in the conditions described. It was found that human stomach carcinoma MGC-803 cells lack GJIC; Chinese hamster V79 cells showed modest GJIC; WB rat liver cells and chick myoblasts showed marked GJIC. The tumor promoter, TPA(1-100 ng/ml), inhibits GJIC of the normal cells efficiently. An inhibitor of calmodulin, Trifluoperazine (TFP) (5-20 microM), evidently increased the GJIC of stomach carcinoma MGC-803 cells. Noteworthy is that TFP in the dosage range used in SLDT experiments showed inhibitory effect on cell growth and DNA synthesis of MGC-803 cells documented in parallel experiments. These results indicate that the lack of GJIC in MGC-803 cells correlates with their uncontrolled cell proliferation; the improvement of GJIC correlates with the inhibition of tumor cell proliferation. TPA inhibition of GJIC in normal cells in this work confirmed previous reports. Interestingly, it was found that when V79 cells were treated with TFP and then shifted to medium containing both TFP and TPA, GJIC was blocked. It is likely that TPA overcomes the effect of TFP on GJIC of MGC-803 cells. These results provide further evidence for the role of GJIC in carcinogenesis, specially the tumor promotion phase.