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Relationship between Cell Membrane Potential and Natural Killer Cell Cytolysis in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells¹

Liver Center, Huntington Memorial Hospital, Pasadena, California; and the Departments of Anatomy and Cell Biology and Otolaryngology, Head, and Neck Surgery, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California

One of the body's natural defense mechanisms against tumor cells is lysis of the invading cell by cytotoxic T-cells and natural killer (NK) cells. Five human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines were found to have different sensitivities to killing by peripheral blood monocytes in a ⁵¹Cr release assay. This killing was demonstrated to be due to NK cell lysis. Electrical recording measurements of the membrane potentials of these five cell lines showed different values for each line, all below values reported for normal hepatocytes. Correlation between mean cell membrane potential, and sensitivity to NK lysis, revealed an inverse relationship. In this study we demonstrate that the lower the mean membrane potential of a human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, the more sensitive it is to NK cell cytolysis. Cell surface positive potential did not correlate with NK cytolysis and only a weak correlation was found between cell membrane negative potential and cell surface positive potential between cell lines.

¹ This study is supported by a Grant from the Kenneth J. Norris Foundation, and funds donated by Vadam Covington, Henry W. Dodge and Donald McCombs.

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Southern California, School of Medicine, 1330 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033.

Received 8/12/87. Revised 5/ 1/89. Accepted 6/ 8/89.