EN
The effect of triethyllead (TriEL) on the morphology and motile activity of Walker 256 carcinosarcoma cells was investigated. It was found that both 2 and 5 μM TriEL affected the cellular motility in a dose- and time- dependent manner. Initially, 2 μM TriEL caused the formation of blebs instead of lamellipodia at the front of some cells and stimulated the migration of Walker cells, but after 2 hours of 2 μM TriEL treatment, a reduction of cellular motility was observed. In the presence of 5 μM TriEL, Walker 256 carcinosarcoma cells rounded up, and their rate of movement was reduced. Moreover, the treatment of Walker carcinosarcoma cells with TriEL caused the disruption of microtubules and affected the F-actin distribution at both concentrations. At a concentration of 2 μM TriEL, the actin staining intensity was greatest in the tail of front-tail polarised blebbing cells and the actin layer was very thin at the leading edge. The control cells showed linear cortical F-actin distribution and somewhat less intense cytoplasmic staining at the same TriEL concentration. Cells treated with 5 μM TriEL showed an under-membrane pattern of actin distribution.