Changes in the Physico-Chemical Properties of Human Kidney Cell Membranes during the Cancer Transformation

Abstract

Kidney tissue is particularly susceptible to reactive oxygen species attack which leads to development of cancer. During oxidative stress, membrane lipids and proteins are major targets of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This work is focused on changes of phospholipids, proteins content and electric charge that occur in cell membranes of kidney cancer of pT3 stage, grade G3 and with metastasis. Qualitative and quantitative phospholipid composition and the presence of integral membrane proteins were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Electrophoresis was used to determine the surface charge density of the human kidney cell membrane. It was shown that the process of cancer transformation was accompanied by an increase phospholipid levels and altered the level of integral proteins as determined by decrease phenylalanine, tyrosine, cysteine and arginine. Moreover, the process of cancer transformation significantly enhanced changes in the surface charge density of the human kidney cell membrane. Cell membrane structure and function are modified by neoplasm lesion.

The Effect of Fatal Carbon Monoxide Poisoning on the Equilibria Between Cell Membranes and the Electrolyte Solution

“…Surface charge also strongly depends on molecular composition of the cell membrane, particularly of the type and number of surface functional groups. Numerous experiments studying such relationships were performed, by Figaszewski and co-workers, on model (Dobrzyńska et al 2007 ; Kotyńska et al 2008 ) as well as biological membranes (Szachowicz-Petelska et al 2008 , 2014 ; Petelska et al 2012 ).…”