Polyacrylamide substrate viscosity impact on temozolomide activity in glioblastoma cells by flow cytometry and rheological measurements

Dataset includes raw data on cell lines LN-229 and LN-18 treated with temozolomide measured by flow cytometry, rheometry and cell projections. It also includes calculations necessary for creation of figures and conclusions based on those figures in the publication titiled: "Substrate viscosity impairs temozolomide-mediated inhibition  of glioblastoma cells’ growth" published in Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Basis of Disease.
During the development of central nervous system (CNS) pathologies and cellular responses to medications, the mechanical state of the brain cells' extracellular environment has a significant impact on their phenotype.The examination of the viscoelastic properties of several brain tumors has shown that both tissue stiffness and viscosity may change throughout the progression of disease.Although a substantial number of studies have shown the impact of substrate stiffness on the proliferation, motility, and drug sensitivity of brain cancer cells, there is a lack of comparable evidence about substrate viscosity changes.
On the basis of strain rheometry measurements of viscoelasticity of rat brain samples, polyacrylamide (PAA) hydrogels matching the elastic and viscous characteristics of the tissues were synthesized. Due to increased substrate viscosity, variations in glioblastoma cell shape, proliferation, and cytotoxicity of the anticancer medication temozolomide (TMZ) were evaluated using optical microscopy and flow cytometry.
Changes in substrate viscosity have a little effect on the proliferation of untreated glioma cells, but have a large effect on the apoptosis-associated depolarization of mitochondria and degree of DNA fragmentation. This shows that apparatus for detecting viscosity and stiffness may activate distinct signaling pathways in glioma cells.
Viscosity should be regarded a significant feature in in vitro polymer-based cell culture systems used for drug screening, according to the data collected.