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Automated Electrorotation to Reveal Dielectric Variations Related to HER-2/neu Overexpression in MCF-7 Sublines¹

Departments of Breast Medical Oncology [M. C., G. N. H.], Experimental Pathology [G. D. G., P. R. C. G.], and Tumor Biology [L. Z., M. C. H.], The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030

Purpose: Electrorotation (ROT) is a technique that allows for determination of the dielectric properties of living cells when exposed to a rotating electric field. We evaluated the ROT behavior of MCF/neo and p185^neu transfectancts MCF/HER2–11 and MCF/HER2–18 to investigate whether differences in HER-2/neu expression were associated with differences in dielectric properties in these cells.

Experimental Design: P185^neu was measured by Western blotting in MCF/neo cells and HER-2/neu transfectants MCF/HER2–11 and MCF/HER2–18. ROT spectra and cell membrane-specific capacitance were obtained for each cell line.

Results: The mean cell membrane-specific capacitance values for MCF/neo, MCF/HER2–11, and MCF/HER2–18 were 2.09, 1.70, and 2.56 µF/cm², respectively. The mean specific capacitance for MCF/neo was significantly different from that for MCF/HER2–11 (P = 0.006) and that for MCF/HER2–18 (P = 0.007).

Conclusions: ROT is sufficiently sensitive to detect variations in dielectric properties in breast cancer cell lines overexpressing p185^neu. These differences may be related to the morphological alterations determined by HER-2/neu overexpression.

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