NOBORU TERAYAMA, TADASHI TERADA, AND YASUNI NAKANUMA giogenesis and angioarchitecture in metastatic liver cancer Background/Aims. To clarify the angiogenetic process and their blood supply. Most metastatic tumors in the liver and the origin of tumor vessels in human metastatic are supplied by hepatic artery. 8-10 However, participation of liver carcinomas. Methods. One hundred autopsy livers portal blood flow was reported in varying degrees. [11][12][13] Howwith metastatic carcinomas were studied by immunohisever, there have been no comprehensive studies on the angiotochemistry for von Willebrand factor, by lectin histogenesis in metastatic tumors of the human liver. chemistry for Ulex europaeus agglutinin I (UEA-I), and
We therefore studied the tumor vessels in metastatic liver by morphometry of the density of tumor vessels in the cancers by immunohistochemistry with anti-von Willebrand liver metastases. In addition, tumor vessels were obfactor (vWF) antibody and lectin histochemistry with Ulex served three-dimensionally in silicone rubber-injected europaeus agglutinin I (UEA-I) lectin, which are the markers livers with metastases. Results. Tumor vessels in metafor endothelial cells, 14,15 and morphometrically examined the static liver carcinomas were positive for von Willebrand angiogenetic process in liver metastases. In addition, threefactor and UAE-I agglutinin I receptor. Tumor vessels dimensional observation of the tumor vessels was performed first appeared in liver metastases of 200 mm in diameter.
using stereomicroscope in silicone rubber (microfil, MV-122) The density of the tumor vessels in the metastases ininjected livers. creased up to 3mm in diameter, and it remained stable over 3mm. Sinusoidal endothelial cells around the liver MATERIALS AND METHODS metastases were positive for these endothelial markers. Sinusoidal endothelial cells were frequently in continu-Materials. One hundred autopsy livers with metastatic carcinomas of the liver were studied. The primary sites were as follows: 24, ity with vessels in the metastases. Silicone rubber-inlung; 21, pancreas; 18, stomach; 14, gallbladder/bile duct; 13, colon; jected specimens showed that blood vessels arising from 3, kidney; and 7, others. Livers were sliced frontally every 1-cm surrounding sinusoids entered into the metastases. Conthickness, and fixed in 10% buffered formalin. In each liver, tissue clusions. The angiogenesis of liver metastases may progspecimens containing varying sized metastatic tumors (Γ΅1 mm, 1-3 ress stepwise as the metastases enlarge, and capillarizamm, 3-5 mm, 5-10 mm, 10-20 mm, 20-30 mm, and ΓΊ30 mm in diame- tion of sinusoidal endothelium around the liver ter) and surrounding liver tissue were obtained. These specimens metastases may occur. Tumor vessels of liver metastases were fixed in 10% buffered formalin and embedded in paraffin. Sev- may in part originate from sinusoidal endothelial cells eral 5-mm thick sections were obtained from each paraffin block.
Several sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin (H&E), Gobiotinylated UEA-I (Vector Lab) in the same manner as the immunostaining for vWF except the step of treatment with secondary antibody. Negative control sections were incubated with phosphate-buf-Abbreviations: vWF, von Willebrand factor; UEA-I, Ulex europaeus agglutinin 1. fered saline instead of primary antibody or lectin, which consistently