Expression level of vascular endothelial growth factor-C and -A in cultured human oral squamous cell carcinoma correlates respectively with lymphatic metastasis and angiogenesis when transplanted into nude mouse oral cavity.
Angiogenesis is induced by various angiogenic factors including vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs), such as VEGF-A, -B, -C and -D, and is involved in tumor progression and metastasis. In an effort to define the expression pattern of VEGFs in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and its correlation with clinicopathological factors, we determined the expression levels of VEGFs in OSCC cell lines (HSC-2, HSC-3, HSC-4 and OSC-19) by quantitative RT-PCR and examined their relationship with regional lymph node (LN) and distant metastasis, intratumoral microvessel density (MVD) in tumor transplanted nude mice. We found that HSC-2 and OSC-19 expressed significantly higher levels of VEGF-A and VEGF-C, and caused frequent regional LN metastasis and higher MVD than did the other cell lines. Since VEGF-C is a lymphangiogenic factor, these results suggest that expression of VEGF-C is a useful predictor for LN metastasis.
Nakazato
Takayuki
T
Division of Reconstructive Surgery for Oral and Maxillofacial Region, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8514, Japan. nakazato@dent.niigata-u.ac.jp
Shingaki
Susumu
S
Kitamura
Nobutaka
N
Saito
Chikara
C
Kuwano
Ryozo
R
Tachibana
Masayoshi
M
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D042561:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor B / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D042643:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042561:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor B; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C; D042643:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor D