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Cancer cell lines release glutamate into the extracellular environment

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Clinical & Experimental Metastasis Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Bone is one of the most frequent sites for metastasis of breast and prostate cancers. Bone metastases are associated with pathologic changes in bone turnover and severe pain. The mechanisms that trigger these effects are not well understood, but it is postulated that tumour cells release factors which interfere with signalling processes critical to bone homeostasis. We have identified that several cancer cell lines known to cause bone disruption in animal models of bone metastasis appear to secrete glutamate into their extracellular environment in vitro. Although these cells also express specific glutamate receptors, the implications of this potentially disruptive chemical signal are discussed in relation to normal glutamate-dependent communication processes in bone and a possible mechanistic connection is made between tumour cell glutamate release and the development of pathological changes in bone turnover.

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Abbreviations

CNS:

Central nervous system

DMEM:

Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium

EDTA:

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (chelating agent)

MEM:

Minimal essential medium

NMDA:

N-methyl-d-aspartate

NMDAR:

N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDA type glutamate receptor)

RPMI-1640:

Roswell Park Memorial Institute 1640 medium

RT-PCR:

Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by operating grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to G.S.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology & Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Eric P. Seidlitz, Mohit K. Sharma, Zeina Saikali, Michelle Ghert & Gurmit Singh

  2. Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Michelle Ghert

  3. Research Department, Juravinski Cancer Centre, 699 Concession St., Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Michelle Ghert & Gurmit Singh

Authors
  1. Eric P. Seidlitz
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  2. Mohit K. Sharma
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  3. Zeina Saikali
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  4. Michelle Ghert
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  5. Gurmit Singh
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Correspondence to Gurmit Singh.

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Seidlitz, E.P., Sharma, M.K., Saikali, Z. et al. Cancer cell lines release glutamate into the extracellular environment. Clin Exp Metastasis 26, 781–787 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10585-009-9277-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10585-009-9277-4

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