Both epidemiological and experimental studies indicate that ethanol exposure enhances tumor progression. Ethanol exposure promotes cancer cell invasion and is implicated in tumor metastasis. Metastasis consists of multiple processes involving intravasation and extravasation of cancer cells across the blood vessel walls. The integrity of the vascular endothelial barrier that lines the inner surface of blood vessels plays a critical role in cancer cell intravasation/extravasation. We examined the effects of ethanol on the endothelial integrity in vitro. Ethanol at physiologically relevant concentrations did not alter cell viability but disrupted the endothelial monolayer integrity, which was evident by a decrease in the electric resistance and the appearance of intercellular gaps in the endothelial monolayer. The effect of ethanol was reversible once ethanol was removed. The disruption of the endothelial monolayer integrity was associated with an increased invasion of cancer cells through the endothelial monolayer. Ethanol induced the formation of stress fibers; stabilization of actin filaments by jasplakinolide prevented ethanol-induced disruption of endothelial integrity and cancer cell invasion. VE-cadherin is a critical component of the adherens junctions, which regulates vascular endothelial integrity. Ethanol induced the endocytosis of VE-cadherin and the effect was blocked by jasplakinolide. Our results indicate that ethanol may facilitate cancer metastasis by disrupting the vascular endothelial barrier.
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science
2
6%
Psychology
1
3%
Other
2
6%
Unknown
11
31%
Attention Score in Context
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 5. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 14 March 2012.
All research outputs
#7,149,102
of 25,374,917 outputs
Outputs from Toxicological Sciences
#2,195
of 5,616 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#60,825
of 257,479 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Toxicological Sciences
#13
of 55 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 25,374,917 research outputs across all sources so far. This one has received more attention than most of these and is in the 71st percentile.
So far Altmetric has tracked 5,616 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a little more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 7.1. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 60% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 257,479 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done well, scoring higher than 76% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 55 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done well, scoring higher than 76% of its contemporaries.
