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Abstract

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been associated with metastasis and therapeutic resistance and can be generated via epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT). Some studies suggest that the hormone melatonin acts in CSCs and may participate in the inhibition of the EMT. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the formation of mammospheres from the canine and human breast cancer cell lines, CMT-U229 and MCF-7, and the effects of melatonin treatment on the modulation of stem cell and EMT molecular markers: OCT4, E-cadherin, N-cadherin and vimentin, as well as on cell viability and invasiveness of the cells from mammospheres. The CMT-U229 and MCF-7 cell lines were subjected to three-dimensional culture in special medium for stem cells. The phenotype of mammospheres was first evaluated by flow cytometry (CD44(+)/CD24(low)/(-) marking). Cell viability was measured by MTT colorimetric assay and the expression of the proteins OCT4, E-cadherin, N-cadherin and vimentin was evaluated by immunofluorescence and quantified by optical densitometry. The analysis of cell migration and invasion was performed in Boyden Chamber. Flow cytometry proved the stem cell phenotype with CD44(+)/CD24(low)/(-) positive marking for both cell lines. Cell viability of CMT-U229 and MCF-7 cells was reduced after treatment with 1 mM melatonin for 24 h (P

Published in

PLoS ONE
2016, volume: 11, number: 3, article number: e0150407
Publisher: PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE

SLU Authors

Global goals (SDG)

SDG3 Good health and well-being

UKÄ Subject classification

Cell and Molecular Biology

Publication identifier

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0150407

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/83271