Tetrodotoxin suppresses morphological enhancement of the metastatic MAT-LyLu rat prostate cancer cell line

Voltage-gated Na⁺ channels are expressed by highly metastatic MAT-LyLu cells, but not by poorly metastatic AT-2 cells, derived from the rodent Dunning model of prostatic cancer. We have investigated the possible involvement of these channels in the morphological development of the cells. Incubation of both the MAT-LyLu and the AT-2 cell line for 24 h with the Na⁺ channel blocker tetrodotoxin (TTX) at 6 μM altered the morphology only of the MAT-LyLu cell line. TTX produced significant decreases in: (a) cell process length and (b) field diameter, and increases in (c) cell body diameter and (d) process thickness. Importantly, 6 μM TTX had no significant effects on proliferation rates or cellular toxicity. The results suggest that Na⁺ channel activity plays a significant role in determining the morphological development of MAT-LyLu cells in such a way as to enhance their metastatic potential. Received: 9 March 1998 / Accepted: 5 October 1998