Onset of abnormal blood and lymphatic vessel function and interstitial hypertension in early stages of carcinogenesis

Cancer Res. 2006 Apr 1;66(7):3360-4. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-05-2655.

Abstract

Recent improvements in diagnostic methods have opened avenues for detection and treatment of (pre)malignant lesions at early stages. However, due to the lack of spontaneous tumor models that both mimic human carcinogenesis and allow direct optical imaging of the vasculature, little is known about the function of blood and lymphatic vessels during the early stages of cancer development. Here, we used a spontaneous carcinogenesis model in the skin of DNA polymerase eta-deficient mice and found that interstitial fluid pressure was already elevated in the hyperplastic/dysplastic stage. This was accompanied by angiogenic blood vasculature that exhibited altered permeability, vessel compression, and decreased alpha-smooth muscle actin-positive perivascular cell coverage. In addition, the lymphatic vessels in hyperplastic/dysplastic lesions were partly compressed and nonfunctional. These novel insights may aid early detection and treatment strategies for cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blood Vessels / physiology
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic
  • DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / deficiency
  • Extracellular Fluid / physiology*
  • Hydrostatic Pressure
  • Hyperplasia
  • Lymphatic Vessels / physiology*
  • Mice
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Precancerous Conditions / blood supply*
  • Precancerous Conditions / metabolism
  • Skin Neoplasms / blood supply*
  • Skin Neoplasms / metabolism

Substances

  • DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase
  • Rad30 protein