ABSTRACT
The viscoelastic properties of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells were measured by means of micropipette aspiration technique. Further,the authors studied the changes in viscoelastic coefficients by treating with colchicine and cytochalasin D. The results showed that the elastic coefficients of HCC cells were obviously higher than the corresponding value of hepatocytes. By treating with colchicine, the effects on viscoelastic properties of HCC cells were obviously different in ways and extents from those on viscoelastic properties of hepatocytes.,but the viscoelastic properties of hepatocytes by treated with cytochalasin D had the same trend of decreasing as those of HCC cells. These results represent the change in cytoskeleton structure and function among hepatocytes and HCC cells, this change might affect tumor cells invasion and metastasis.