Summary
Previous studies have shown that thrombocytopenia reduces the lodgement of circulating tumor cells, thus indicating a role of platelets in tumor cell lodgement. In this study, a vital fluorescence microscopic technique, electron microscopy and isotope measurements were combined to analyse the very first phase (5 min) of tumor cell lodgement using a syngeneic, methylcholantrene induced fibrosarcoma. The mode of tumor cell arrest in the liver microvasculature of normal and thrombocytopenic rats was studied. In addition, tumor cell size and deformability were investigated in vitro. The in vitro experiments showed that the fibrosarcoma cells were very rigid. Both the vital microscopic and electron microscopic studies indicated that the tumor cells mainly became arrested by mechanical trapping in narrow liver sinusoids. Arrest of tumor cells by adherence to venular walls was a rare finding. Platelets did not seem to influence any of these initial phenomena of tumor cell lodgement. The isotope measurements, which showed no difference in the number of tumor cells lodged in the liver between normal and thrombocytopenic rats, further indicated that the initial arrest of the fibrosarcoma cells was not influenced by platelets.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bagge U (1975) White blood cell rheology. Experimental studies on the rheological properties of white blood cells in man and rabbit and in an in vitro micro-flow system. Dissertation, University of Göteborg
Bagge U, Brånemark PI (1977) White blood cell rheology. An intravital study in man. Adv Microcirc 7:1–17
Bagge U, Amundsson B, Lauritzen C (1980) White blood cell deformability and plugging of skeletal muscle capillaries in haemorrhagic shock. Acta Physiol Scand 108:159–163
Gasic GJ, Gasic TB, Galanti N, Johnson T, Murphy S (1973) Platelet-tumor cell interaction in mice. The role of platelets in the spread of malignant disease. Int J Cancer 11:704–717
Gastpar H (1977) Platelet-cancer cell interaction in metastasis formation: a possible therapeutic approach for metastasis prophylaxis. J Med 8:103–114
Hilgard P (1978) Blood platelets and experimental metastasis. In: de Gaetano G, Garratubu S (eds) Platelets. A multidisciplinary approach. Raven Press, New York, pp 457–466
Ivarsson L, Rudenstam CM (1975) Dextran and the formation of pulmonary metastases after intravenous tumor cell injection in rats non-sensitive to dextran. Eur Surg Res 7:326–340
Ivarsson L (1976) Metastasis formation after intravenous tumor cell injection in thrombocytopenic rats. Eur Surg Res 8:51–60
Jones DS, Wallace AC, Fraser EE (1971) Sequence of events in experimental metastases of Walker 256 tumor. Light, immunofluorescent and electronmicroscopic observations. J Natl Cancer Inst 46:293–504
Reilly FD, Mc Cuskey RS, Cilento EV (1981) Hepatic microvascular regulatory mechanisms. I. Adrenergic mechanisms. Microvasc Res 21:103–116
Sato H, Suzuki M (1976) Deformability and viability of tumor cells by transcapillary passage, with reference to organ affinity of metastasis in cancer. In: Weiss L (ed) Fundamental aspects of metastasis. North-Holland, Amsterdam, pp 311–317
Schmid-Schönbein GW, Shih YY, Chien S (1980) Morphometry of human leucocytes. Blood 56:866–875
Skolnik G, Alpsten M, Ivarsson L (1980a) The influence of trauma, dextran 1000 and dextran 40 on the lodgement of circulating tumour cells. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 97:241–248
Skolnik G, Alpsten M, Ivarsson L (1980b) Studies on mechanisms involved in metastasis formation from circulating tumour cells. Factors influencing tumour cell lodgement during normal and post-traumatic conditions. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 97:249–256
Skolnik G, Ericson LE, Bagge U (1983) The effect of thrombocytopenia and antiserotonin treatment on the lodgement of circulating tumor cells. A vital fluorescence microscopic, electron microscopic and isotope study in the rat. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 105:30–37
Warren BA, Vales O (1972) The adhesion of thromboplastic tumour emboli to vessel walls in vivo. Br J Exp Pathol 53:301–322
Wood Jr S (1958) Pathogenesis of metastasis formation observed in vivo in the rabbit ear chamber. Arch Pathol 66:550–569
Wood Jr S, Holyoke D, Yardley JM (1961) Mechanisms of metastasis production by blood-borne cancer cells. Can Cancer Conf 4:167–223
Zeidman I (1961) The fate of circulating tumour cells. I. Passage of cells through capillaries. Cancer Res 21:38–39
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by grants from the Göteborg Medical Society, the Medical Faculty, University of Göteborg and the Swedish Medical Research Council (12X-00663)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bagge, U., Skolnik, G. & Ericson, L.E. The arrest of circulating tumor cells in the liver microcirculation. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 105, 134–140 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00406923
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00406923