Glycerol alters cytoskeleton and cell adhesion while inhibiting cell proliferation

Our previous studies with various cell lines and human glioma cells showed that glycerol suppresses cell proliferation. In this study, we examined the effects of glycerol on the cytoskeleton, general morphology and attachment of Baby Hamster Kidney (BHK) cells. In glycerol-treated cells proliferation was suppressed, the microfilament network was extensively reorganized and the microtubule network was more clearly defined, while the cell thickness, as observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), was decreased. In addition, glycerol treatment resulted in an increase in the number of nucleoli per cell and in the appearance of non-mitotic rounded cells. Glycerol treatment increased the time needed to trypsinize BHK cells from the culture dishes and reduced the time required for cell reattachment. We suggest that glycerol treatment provides a non-toxic tool to examine mechanisms of proliferation arrest.