Fig. 5

Calcium is crucial for the PI3K/AKT signaling-mediated migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells. (a) Flow cytometry analysis of [Ca2+]i. SKOV3 and OVCAR3 cells were treated with (b), or without (a), 20 μg/ml BAPTA-AM for 12 h and labeled with Fluo-8 AM, followed by exposed to calcium-containing or calcium-free HANK’s solution, respectively. The cells did not receive BAPTA-AM treatment and exposed to calcium-containing HANK’s solution (c); the control cells as described above (d). (b) Fluorescent microscopy. SKOV3 and OVCAR3 cells were treated with, or without, 20 μg/ml BAPTA-AM for 12 h and labeled with Fluo-8 AM, followed by examining under a fluorescent microscope. (c-f) Blocking the calcium signaling is crucial for the PI3K/AKT signaling-mediated migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells. SKOV3 and OVCAR3 cells were treated with vehicle or BAPTA-AM and/or 10 μg/ml LY294002 or 100 ng/ml IGF for 48 h. The migration, invasion (c, e) and wound healing (d, f) of cells were determined. Data are representative images or expressed as the mean ± SD of each group of cells from three separate experiments. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001 vs the controls