title: In vivo assessment of angioarchitecture and microcirculation in experimental liver cancer: a new model in rats.
abstract: The rising incidence of unresectable hepatocellular malignancies remains a therapeutic challenge. Little is known about the mechanisms of angiogenesis and immunological aspects of liver tumor vessels. The aim of this study was to investigate hepatic and tumor microcirculation and leukocyte-endothelium interaction by means of intravital microscopy in a rat model of hepatocellular carcinoma. Off-line analysis showed that the angioarchitecture as well as blood flow velocity in liver cancer is heterogeneous. The leukocyte-endothelium interaction is significantly reduced compared to normal liver tissue. The data suggest that the main mechanism is a reduced expression of adhesion molecules demonstrating an effective immune escape mechanism of this tumor. The model represents a useful experimental tool to explore angiogenesis inhibition or immunological therapeutic strategies in experimental liver cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Maksan
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Paulo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ryschich
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kuntz
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Gebhard
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Klar
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008102:Liver Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D011336:Probability; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric