Microvascular architecture of human tumors transplanted in nude mice--its relationship to sensitivity to antineoplastic agents
Okazaki, M.; Kubota, T.; Hanatani, Y.; Maruyama, K.; Tsuyuki, K.; Nakada, M.; Asanuma, F.; Ishibiki, K.; Abe, O.
Gan to Kagaku Ryoho. Cancer and ChemoTherapy 9(8): 1433-1441
1982
ISSN/ISBN: 0385-0684 PMID: 7184456 Document Number: 189980
Microangiographic study was performed with ten human tumors serially transplanted into nude mice to clarify the role of tumor vessels on the chemosensitivity of the human tumors. Five gastric carcinomas, two colon carcinomas, one breast carcinoma, one cholangiocarcinoma, and one hemangiopericytoma were used for the experiments. Seven tumors revealed hypervascular network of vessels, whereas hypovascular patterns of tumor vessels were observed in the other three tumors. It was found that the histologically differentiated tumors were hypervascular and undifferentiated tumors were hypovascular, with statistically significant differences (p less than 0.05). Each tumor possessed the vascular network similar to human tumors originated from the same organs. No discernible changes of microangiographic features were noticed by serial transfers. As the chemosensitivities of these tumors depended mainly on their original tissues, these chemosensitivities could not be explained only by tumor vascularities or drug transferences. However, in the tumors with similar chemosensitive spectra, less susceptible tumors were observed to possess the irregular vascular networks in comparison with sensitive strains. From these considerations, tumor vessels were thought to have some role on vascular flow and drug transference which affected chemosensitivity of human tumors.