[Validation of the non-cellular metastasis hypothesis of malignant tumors in mice].
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that malignant tumor metastasis is mediated also through a non-cellular, essentially molecular, mechanism in addition to the cellular pathway.


METHODS
The sex-determining region on the Y chromosome was detected as the marker of the primary tumors using PCR in Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) in vitro and in female C57BL/6 mice bearing LLC with spontaneous metastasis. The macroscopic and microscopic metastases in the tumor-bearing mice were examined for SRY expression by PCR and in situ hybridization, using the tissues from male and female mice as the positive or negative controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Positive SRY gene expression was detected in the metastatic foci in the LLC-bearing female mice, suggesting the origination of these tumor cells from the primary tumor foci. We have failed to verify the non-cellular metastasis hypothesis in this animal experiment, but given the limitations of this experiment, we consider further investigation still necessary for verification of this hypothesis using other methods.
Zhang
Xin-Chun
XC
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
Wang
Wu-Jun
WJ
D000818:Animals; D018827:Carcinoma, Lewis Lung / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D051876:Sex-Determining Region Y Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D051876:Sex-Determining Region Y Protein; C497746:Sry protein, mouse