Biological characteristics of carcinoma-associated fibroblasts in human breast cancer microenvironment

Objective: To investigate the proliferation, adhesion, migration, invasion, and contraction capacities of carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in human breast cancer microenvironment. Methods: The protein expressions of fibronectin (FN), alpha-smooth-muscle actin (α-SMA) and fibroblast activation protein (FAP) were detected by Western blotting, so as to distinguish CAFs cells from normal fibroblasts (NFs). The proliferation of CAFs and NFs was detected by Roche xCellingence system, cell counting, and cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The adhesion, migration, invasion and contraction capacities of CAFs were evaluated by the cell adhesion experiment, Roche xCellingence system, Transwell invasion assay and collagen gel contraction assay, respectively. Results: The primary CAFs and NFs cells which were isolated from human breast cancer grew in good condition with active proliferation. The linear types and trends of their growth curves were accorded with the cell growth characteristics. While compared with NFs, CAFs had a robust proliferation capacity, and the obviously stronger abilities of adhesion, migration, invasion, and contraction. Conclusion: There are prodigious differences of proliferation and migration between CAFs and NFs cells in human breast cancer microenvironment. CAFs have the stronger abilities of proliferation, adhesion, migration, invasion, and contraction than NFs. DOI:10.3781/j.issn.1000-7431.2013.10.002