Cell migration plays a central role in the invasion and metastasis of tumors. As cells leave the primary tumor, they undergo an epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and migrate as single cells. Epithelial tumor cells may also migrate in a highly directional manner as a collective group in some settings. We previously discovered that myoferlin (MYOF) is overexpressed in breast cancer cells and depletion of MYOF results in a mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET) and reduced invasion through extracellular matrix (ECM). However, the biomechanical mechanisms governing cell motility during MYOF depletion are poorly understood. We first demonstrated that lentivirus-driven shRNA-induced MYOF loss in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells (MDA-231MYOF-KD) leads to an epithelial morphology compared to the mesenchymal morphology observed in control (MDA- 231LTVC) and wild-type cells. Knockdown of MYOF led to significant reductions in cell migration velocity and MDA- 231MYOF-KD cells migrated directionally and collectively, while MDA-231LTVC cells exhibited single cell migration. Decreased migration velocity and collective migration were accompanied by significant changes in cell mechanics. MDA-231MYOF-KD cells exhibited a 2-fold decrease in cell stiffness, a 2-fold increase in cell-substrate adhesion and a 1.5-fold decrease in traction force generation. In vivo studies demonstrated that when immunocompromised mice were implanted with MDA- 231MYOF-KD cells, tumors were smaller and demonstrated lower tumor burden. Moreover, MDA- 231MYOF-KD tumors were highly circularized and did not invade locally into the adventia in contrast to MDA- 231LTVC-injected animals. Thus MYOF loss is associated with a change in tumor formation in xenografts and leads to smaller, less invasive tumors. These data indicate that MYOF, a previously unrecognized protein in cancer, is involved in MDA-MB-231 cell migration and contributes to biomechanical alterations. Our results indicate that changes in biomechanical properties following loss of this protein may be an effective way to alter the invasive capacity of cancer cells.

To test the hypothesis that IL-6 contributes to the development of ventilator-associated lung injury (VALI), IL-6-deficient (IL6−/−) and wild-type control (WT) mice received intratracheal hydrochloric acid followed by randomization to MV (MV+IT HCl) or spontaneous ventilation (IT HCl). After 4 hr, injury was assessed by estimation of lung lavage protein concentration and total and differential cell counts, wet/dry lung weight ratio, pulmonary cell death, histologic inflammation score (LIS), and parenchymal myeloperoxidase (MPO) concentration. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentration was measured in lung lavage and homogenate, as IL-6 and stretch both regulate expression of this potent mediator of permeability. MV-induced increases in alveolar barrier dysfunction and lavage VEGF were attenuated in IL6−/− mice as compared with WT controls, whereas tissue VEGF concentration increased. The effects of IL-6 deletion on alveolar permeability and VEGF concentration were inflammation-independent, as parenchymal MPO concentration, LIS, and lavage total and differential cell counts did not differ between WT and IL6−/− mice following IT HCl+MV. These data support a role for IL-6 in promoting VALI in this two-hit model. Strategies to interfere with IL-6 expression or signaling may represent important therapeutic targets to limit the injurious effects of MV in inflamed lungs.

No abstract

Stenotic nares, edematous intranasal turbinates, mucosal swelling, and an elongated, thickened soft palate are common sources of airflow resistance for dogs with brachycephalic airway syndrome. Surgery has focused on enlarging the nasal apertures and reducing tissue of the soft palate. However, objective measures to validate surgical efficacy are lacking. Twenty-one English bulldogs without previous surgery were recruited for this prospective, pilot study. Computed tomography was performed using conscious sedation and without endotracheal intubation using a 128 multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) scanner. Raw MDCT data were rendered to create a three-dimensional surface mesh model by automatic segmentation of the air-filled nasal passage from the nares to the caudal soft palate. Three-dimensional surface models were used to construct computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models of nasal airflow resistance from the nares to the caudal aspect of the soft palate. The CFD models were used to simulate airflow in each dog and airway resistance varied widely with a median 36.46 (Pa/mm)/(L/s) and an interquartile range of 19.84 to 90.74 (Pa/mm)/(L/s). In 19/21 dogs, the rostral third of the nasal passage exhibited a larger airflow resistance than the caudal and middle regions of the nasal passage. In addition, CFD data indicated that overall measures of airflow resistance may significantly underestimate the maximum local resistance. We conclude that CFD models derived from nasal MDCT can quantify airway resistance in brachycephalic dogs. This methodology represents a novel approach to noninvasively quantify airflow resistance and may have utility for objectively studying surgical interventions in canine brachycephalic airway syndrome.