Influence of IGF-I on adhesion, proliferation, and galectin-1 production in JAr and Jeg-3 choriocarcinoma cell lines

BACKGROUND: JAr and Jeg-3 choriocarcinoma cell lines are model systems for the transformed trophoblast and allow studies of phenotype and regulatory factors for particular cell functions. Both cell lines express the receptor for insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). Effects of IGF-I on adhesion, proliferation and galectin-1 production in JAr and Jeg-3 cells were studied. METHODS: The effects of IGF-I on proliferation and galectin-1 production were examined by thiazolyl blue assay and cell based solid phase assay using polyclonal anti-galectin-1 antibodies. The cell adhesion assay was performed on Matrigel coated wells. Galectin-1 production and localization was examined by immunocytochemistry. RESULTS: IGF-I decreased adhesion of JAr cells to 70% of the control value (p<0.05). Cell treatment with 10 µg/L of IGF-I significantly increased viable cell number: by 13.5% in JAr and 6% in Jeg-3. Gal-1 was immunolocalized intracellularly and associated with the cell membrane in both cell lines. Production of galectin-1 was significantly increased after treatment with IGF-I compared to control: by 7% in JAr cells and by 16% in Jeg-3 cells (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The data showed that IGF-I affected adhesion and proliferation of choriocarcinoma cells, depending on the cell line. Both choriocarcinoma cell lines studied here produced galectin-1. The amount of galectin-1 was moderately stimulated by IGF-I