title: Quantitative analysis of angiogenesis using confocal laser scanning microscopy.
abstract: Angiogenesis is essential for tumor growth and metastasis. Angiogenesis is commonly quantified by measuring microvessel density (MVD) within tumors. In this report, we compared light microscopy with confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) in the qualitative and quantitative analysis of angiogenesis. MVDs were determined manually in a lung tumor xenograft and a normal skeletal muscle using CD31 immunohistochemical staining and light microscopy. Area of three-dimensional representation of microvessels, detected as CD31 immunofluorescence, was measured automatically using computer-assisted CLSM. By manual counting under light microscopy, the relative level of MVD of the lung tumor vs. skeletal muscle was 0.8. However, the corresponding relative level of microvessels was 3.4 as determined by computer-assisted CLSM. Furthermore, the architecture of microvessels was better delineated with CLSM than with light microscopy. We have applied this CLSM method for analyzing the antiangiogenic effect of an anticancer drug, paclitaxel, in the lung tumor xenograft model. We conclude that CLSM is an appropriate method for quantitative and qualitative analysis of microvasculature in normal and tumor tissues.
authors.affiliation: University of California, Davis Cancer Center, Sacramento, California, USA.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gandour-Edwards
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lau
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002196:Capillaries / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000098:blood supply; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000032:analysis; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D017239:Paclitaxel