Preliminary study on characteristic autofluorescence in gastric cancer cells

Objective To investigate the biological origin of characteristic autofluorescence in normal gastric epithelial cells and different degree differentiated gastric cancer cells. Methods The behaviors of autofluorescence at wavelength 500-530 nm between gastric cancer cells and normal gastric epithelial cells were compared by laser confocal fluorescence microscopy. The site of autofluorescence was examined after stained by Rodamine 123. Alteration of autofluorescence intensity was assessed after the addition of oxidative respiratory chain blocking agent carbonylcyanide-mchlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP). Results Autofluorescence at wavelength 500-530 nm mainly came from mitochondria. The autofluorescence intensity of all the different degree differentiated gastric cancer cells was weaker than that of the normal gastric epithelial cells. The autofluorescence intensity increased with the addition of CCCP. Conclusions The weakening of autofluorescence at wavelength 500-530nm might help the diagnosis of gastric cancer. The origin of the autofluorescence was probably the redox coenzyme(reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide,NADH) in mitochondria.