Mast‐cell‐deficient W/Wv mice exhibit A decreased rate of tumor angiogenesis

JR Starkey, PK Crowle… - International journal of …, 1988 - Wiley Online Library
JR Starkey, PK Crowle, S Taubenberger
International journal of cancer, 1988Wiley Online Library
The role of host mast cells in tumor‐associated angiogenesis was investigated by
comparing the angiogenic response of genetically mast‐cell‐deficient W/Wv mice and mast‐
cell‐sufficient+/+ littermate mice to sc growing B16‐BL6 tumors. The angiogenic response
was found to be slower and initially less intense in W/Wv mice than in+/+ mice. Fewer W/Wv
mice than+/+ mice developed spontaneous lung metastases and W/Wv mice exhibited fewer
lung metastases per mouse. Bone‐marrow repair of the mast‐cell deficiency restored the …
Abstract
The role of host mast cells in tumor‐associated angiogenesis was investigated by comparing the angiogenic response of genetically mast‐cell‐deficient W/Wv mice and mast‐cell‐sufficient +/+ littermate mice to s.c. growing B16‐BL6 tumors. The angiogenic response was found to be slower and initially less intense in W/Wv mice than in +/+ mice. Fewer W/Wv mice than +/+ mice developed spontaneous lung metastases and W/Wv mice exhibited fewer lung metastases per mouse. Bone‐marrow repair of the mast‐cell deficiency restored the angiogenic response of W/Wv mice and also restored the incidence of hematogenous metastases to approach that of +/+ mice. Differences in lymphatic metastasis were not detected between W/Wv and +/+ mice. These results demonstrate a role for mast cells in vivo during tumor angiogenesis, and suggest a role also for host mast cells in hematogenous metastasis.
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