Nerve growth factor receptor expression in heterotransplanted vestibular schwannoma in athymic nude mice.
Nerve growth factor (NGF) has the potential to induce cellular differentiation in various neoplastic and non-neoplastic cell lines. The purpose of the present study was to determine by immunohistochemistry: the presence/distribution of nerve growth factor receptor (NGFr), cellular proliferation expressed by Ki-67, and intratumoral vascularization visualized by the endothelial marker CD 31, in a series of 61 human vestibular schwannoma heterotransplants in athymic nude mice. The immunohistochemical results were correlated to the observed macroscopic growth in 22 heterotransplants (36%) with obvious macroscopic growth, versus 39 heterotransplants (64%), that were stationary or regressed. The positive immunoreactivity to NGFr, number of Ki-67 positive nuclei and number of intratumoral vessels were significantly higher in the 22 (36%) growing heterotransplants than in the 39 heterotransplants (64%), which were stationary or regressed (p < 0.00005, p = 0.046, p < 0.00001). NGFr was statistically related to the vascularity of the heterotransplants expressed by CD 31 (p<0.00001). No significant relation was observed between NGFr and the proliferation, as estimated by Ki-67. The results revealed that the macroscopic growth of VS in athymic nude mice was associated with strong positive expression of NGFr, high cellular proliferation expressed by Ki-67 and vivid neovascularization expressed by CD 31. The possible clinical applicability of the achieved results is discussed.
Charabi
S
S
Department of ORL, Gentofte University Hospital, Hellerup, Denmark.
Simonsen
K
K
Charabi
B
B
Jacobsen
G K
GK
Moos
T
T
Rygaard
J
J
Tos
M
M
Thomsen
J
J
D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement; D017690:Cell Transplantation; D003390:Cranial Nerve Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D000159:Vestibulocochlear Nerve / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure
D009414:Nerve Growth Factors