Article

Cell adhesion plays a key role in tumor progression and its control could diminish the tumor metastases. The action of erufosine on cell survival, reorganization of cytoskeleton, and apoptosis was analyzed in breast cancer and mammary epithelial cells. Breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 as well as the non-tumorigenic line MCF-10A were treated with erufosine (5 μmol/L to 15 μmol/L). MTS test, FACS analysis, actin, tubulin and DAPI staining were performed. For MDA-MB-231 erufosine provoked apoptosis and actin reorganization, while MCF-7 and MCF-10A were less sensitive to the action of erufosine. The organization of microtubules was not affected by erufosine treatment. The cytotoxic action of erufosine on the investigated cells was cell-specific. The highly invasive MDA-MB-231 cell line was found to be most sensitive, since 15 μmol/L erufosine caused actin cytoskeleton reorganization and apoptosis.