Simultaneous Exposure of Cell Cultures to High Hydrostatic Pressure and Chromate

Abstract

We have used a fibroblast-like cell line (Flow 5000) to investigate the effects of high pressure and chromate effects on cytoskeletal integrity. Pressure (1–150 bar) resulted in a rounding-up of cells, and changes were also observed in F-actin filament organisation. Addition of 1–5μM chromate to the cell culture media disrupted the F-actin fibres. The combined exposure to 100 bar and 1μM chromate for 18 hours caused an increase in the fraction of rounded cells higher than would be expected if the effects were purely additive. To study cell cycle kinetics, we used a rat glioma culture and measured the quenching of 32258 Hoechst fluorescence by bromodeoxyuridine incorporation. Exposure to 1 or 5μM chromate caused a prolongation of the DNA synthesis phase, and the application of high pressure did not affect this process further. When the cells were exposed to 1μM chromate and 100 bar pressure during the early part of cell cycle, we observed a delay in the cell cycle, which was not observed when cells were exposed to pressure or chromate separately.