Experimental animal model of hematogenous cardiac metastasis and neoplastic cardiac tamponade.
BACKGROUND
There have been no animal models reported that are suitable for studying cardiac metastasis. We describe a unique animal model that efficiently generates cardiac tumor colonies and neoplastic cardiac tamponade with very high incidence.


METHODS
HT1080 human fibrosarcoma cells were injected intravenously into 11-day-old chick embryos. Tumor colonization was evaluated morphologically 10 days after injection.


RESULTS
HT1080 cells formed massive cardiac tumor colonies with 100% (50/50) incidence; 10-20 visible surface colonies per heart, 1-3 mm in diameter. Most (>90%) of the cardiac tumor colonies were accompanied with clear, colorless pericardial effusion forming cardiac tamponade. Histological observation revealed that some tumor colonies grew within the lumen of the blood vessels in the myocardium as well as around the blood vessels.


CONCLUSIONS
The experimental metastasis model consisting of HT1080 cells and chick embryos would be useful for studying pathophysiology of cardiac metastasis and neoplastic tamponade.
Shioda
T
T
Laboratory of Tumor Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Charlestown 02129, USA.
Fenner
M H
MH
Isselbacher
K J
KJ
D000818:Animals; D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D002642:Chick Embryo; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005354:Fibrosarcoma / Q000473:pathology*; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000473:pathology*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous