Cytoarchitecture of Breast Cancer Cells under Diabetic Conditions: Role of Regulatory Kinases—Rho Kinase and Focal Adhesion Kinase

Diabetes greatly reduces the survival rates in breast cancer patients due to chemoresistance and metastasis. Reorganization of the cytoskeleton is crucial to cell migration and metastasis. Regulatory cytoskeletal protein kinases such as the Rho kinase (ROCK) and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) play a key role in cell mobility and have been shown to be affected in cancer. It is hypothesized that diabetes/high-glucose conditions alter the cytoskeletal structure and, thus, the elasticity of breast cancer cells through the ROCK and FAK pathway, which can cause rapid metastasis of cancer. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of potential mediators that affect the morphology of cancer cells in diabetes, thus leading to aggressive cancer. Breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7) were treated with 5 mM glucose (low glucose) or 25 mM glucose (high glucose) in the presence of Rho kinase inhibitor (Y-27632, 10 mM) or FAK inhibitor (10 mM). Cell morphology and elasticity were monitored using atomic force microscopy (AFM), and actin staining was performed by fluorescence microscopy. For comparative study, normal mammary breast epithelial cells (MCF-10A) were used. It was observed that high-glucose treatments modified the cytoskeleton of the cells, as observed through AFM and fluorescence microscopy, and significantly reduced the elasticity of the cells. Blocking the ROCK or FAK pathway diminished the high-glucose effects. These changes were more evident in the breast cancer cells as compared to the normal cells. This study improves the knowledge on the cytoarchitecture properties of diabetic breast cancer cells and provides potential pathways that can be targeted to prevent such effects.