Effect of calcium electroporation in combination with metformin in vivo and correlation between viability and intracellular ATP level after calcium electroporation in vitro.

Stine Krog Frandsen,Julie Gehl,Marta M Alonso

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0181839

Stine Krog Frandsen, Julie Gehl + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0181839

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Journal: PloS one	Publication Date: Jul 25, 2017
Citations: 39	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen

Abstract

BackgroundCalcium electroporation is a new experimental anti-cancer treatment where calcium is internalized into cells by application of short, high voltage pulses. Calcium electroporation has been shown to induce tumor necrosis associated with ATP depletion while the effect on normal fibroblasts was limited when investigated in a 3D in vitro spheroid model. We aimed to investigate the effect of calcium electroporation in combination with metformin, a drug that affects intracellular ATP level. We also aimed to study the relationship between the viability and intracellular ATP levels after calcium electroporation in vitro.MethodsIn this study, we investigated the effect of calcium electroporation with metformin on NMRI-Foxn1nu mice in vivo on tumor size, survival, and intracellular ATP. We further investigated viability and intracellular ATP level in vitro after calcium electroporation in two human cancer cell lines: Breast (MDA-MB231) and colon (HT29), and in normal human fibroblasts (HDF-n), as well as investigating viability in human bladder cancer cells (SW780) and human small cell lung cancer cells (H69) where we have previously published intracellular ATP levels.ResultsCalcium electroporation significantly reduced the size and ATP level of bladder cancer tumors treated in vivo but no increased effect of metformin combined with calcium electroporation was shown on neither tumor size, survival, nor ATP level. Calcium electroporation in vitro significantly decreased viability compared with calcium alone (p<0.0001 for calcium concentrations from 0.5 mM for H69, HDF-n, and MDA-MB231; p<0.0001 for calcium concentrations from 1 mM for HT29 and SW780). Intracellular ATP levels decreased significantly after calcium electroporation (p<0.05), however no correlation between intracellular ATP level and viability after treatment was observed.ConclusionCalcium electroporation caused reduced tumor size, increased survival, and acute ATP depletion in vivo. This effect was not augmented by metformin. Calcium electroporation is a possible novel anti-cancer treatment that has been shown to cause cell death associated with acute ATP depletion in vitro and in vivo.

Highlights

Electroporation is a method where application of short, high voltage pulses causes transient permeabilization of the cell membrane, letting ions and molecules enter and leave the cell [1,2,3]
Calcium electroporation significantly reduced the size and ATP level of bladder cancer tumors treated in vivo but no increased effect of metformin combined with calcium electroporation was shown on neither tumor size, survival, nor ATP level
Calcium electroporation is a possible novel anti-cancer treatment that has been shown to cause cell death associated with acute ATP depletion in vitro and in vivo

Summary

Introduction

Electroporation is a method where application of short, high voltage pulses causes transient permeabilization of the cell membrane, letting ions and molecules enter and leave the cell [1,2,3]. It could be assumed that combination of calcium electroporation with another treatment affecting the cell metabolism and thereby the intracellular ATP level might have an additive effect. The mitochondrial ATP production is inhibited by metformin causing a reduced intracellular ATP level, leading to changed ATP/AMP ratio which activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). This activation causes inhibition of cell survival, growth, and proliferation; contributing to an anti-cancer effect [37,38,39,40]

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