DOES COLCHICINE AFFECT AGGREGATION OF NORMAL AND TRANSFORMED BHK CELLS DIFFERENTLY?

Abstract

The effect of colchicine and vinblastine on cell aggregation was studied, using BHK cells and their transformed derivatives (pyBHK cells). When cells were dissociated with EDTA and the assay was made in a Ca²⁺‐containing medium, the aggregation of transformed cells was prevented by colchicine and vinblastine, whereas the aggregation of normal cells was unaffected. When a Ca²⁺‐free medium was used for aggregation, neither type of cell was influenced by these drugs. BHK and pyBHK cells, dissociated by trypsin in the presence of Ca²⁺, can aggregate only in the Ca²⁺‐containing medium and the aggregation of both cell types was equally prevented by colchicine and vinblastine. Based on these results, it was concluded that colchicine and vinblastine inhibited the Ca²⁺‐dependent mechanism of cell adhesion, but not the Ca²⁺‐independent one which occurs in the Ca²⁺‐free aggregation medium.