Determining the Influence of Small Molecules on Hypoxic Prostate Cancer Cell (DU-145) Viability Using Automated Cell Counting and a Cell Harvesting Protocol

Abstract

Cell viability assays are an essential aspect of most cancer studies, however they usually require a considerable labor and time input. Here, instead of using the conventional microscopy and hemocytometer cell counting approach, we developed a cell harvesting protocol and combined it with the automated Countess Automated Cell Counter to generate cell viability data. We investigated the effects of dihydroxylated bile acids on the cell viability of prostate cancer cells grown under hypoxic conditions. We observed that for all conditions, cell viability was relatively unchanged, suggesting these molecules had little or no impact on cell viability. The combination of the automated approach and the cell harvesting protocol means this assay is i) easy to perform, ii) extremely reproducible and iii) it complements more conventional cancer assay data such as invasion, migration and adhesion.