ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the effects of lymphangiogenesis on cancer growth and metastasis.Methods Human lymphatic endothelial cells(HLyECs)were isolated and purified from human lymph node by magnetic beads coated with antibody against human VEGFR3.Human breast cancer cell line(MDA-MB-435)or human osteosarcoma cell line(MG-63)was inoculated alone or co-inoculated with HLyECs subcutaneously into nude mice.The weight of tumor and lung surface metastasis were detected;peri-tumor lymphatic vessels were shown by Evans blue,intra-tumor lymphatic vessels were shown by immunohistochemistry for human and mouse PDPN.Conditioned medium of tumor on proliferation of HLyECs was evaluated by MTT assay.Results Compared with inoculating tumor cells alone,the growth and metastasis of MDA-MB-435 were promoted by co-inoculating HLyECs.The peritumoral and intra-tumoral lymphatic vessel density of MDA-MB-435 were increased by co-inoculating HLyECs.Both hPDPN-and mPDPN-positive lymphatic vessels were found.But co-inoculating HLyECs had no effect on lymphatic vessels density of MG-63.Neither intra-nor peri-tumor lymphatic vessels were found.The proliferation of HLyECs was increased by conditioned medium of MDA-MB-435 but not by MG-63.Conclusion Growth and lymphangiogenesis of breast cancer can be enhanced by co-inoculating lymphatic endothelial cells.