Extracellular pressure stimulates colon cancer cell adhesion in vitro and to surgical wounds by Src (sarcoma protein) activation

We hypothesized that pressure stimulates colon cancer cell adhesion to surgical wounds. We quantitated adhesion of murine 26/51 transplantable colon cancer cells by cell counting or chromium 51–labeling. Tumor cells were added to murine surgical wounds after 30 minutes preincubation under ambient or 15 mm Hg increased pressure. Src activation was assayed by immunoblotting for phosphorylated Src and inhibited by 4-amino-5-(4chlorophenyl)-7-(t-butyl)pyrazolo-[3-4-d]pyrimidine (PP2). Pressure stimulated colon 26/51 cell adhesion to murine wounds by 43% to 52% (n = 9, P