Distributive and phagocytic characteristics of hepatic macrophages in five cetaceans belonging to Delphinidae and Ziphiidae.

Details of morphology and distribution of hepatic macrophages in cetaceans were investigated using the immunohistochemistry with an antibody (SRA-E5) generated against human macrophage scavenger receptor antigen. Liver samples were obtained from five species of cetaceans (Baird's beaked whales, short-finned pilot whales, Risso's dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, and pantropical spotted dolphins). Except for two species of whales, the number of SRA-E5-positive Kupffer cells was greatest in the perivenous zone (zone 3), followed by the mid-zonal (zone 2) and periportal (zone 1) zones; this distribution pattern was different from that in cattle examined here and previously reported rodents with the highest number in zone 1. The frequency of Kupffer cell in each of zones was significantly different among species, and interestingly, the total mean of the Kupffer cell number in three zones increased as the body-length of species was small. In cetaceans, Kupffer cells in zone 1 appeared larger and more stellate in shape, whereas those in zone 3 were smaller and rounder. All cetaceans but Baird's beaked whales had the black pigment-containing Kupffer cells, with the greatest number in zone 3, and macrophages with the similar pigments were also seen in the hepatic intermediate septa, indicating an active phagocytosis. Most of the black pigments were considered to be lipofuscin and such pigments were not seen in the bovine livers. These results indicate that cetacean hepatic macrophages show differences in the distribution and phagocytosis among hepatic lobular zones, or between cetacean species and terrestrial animals.

Establishment of a transplantable rat pulmonary carcinoma-derived cell line (IP-B12) as a new model of humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy and bone metastasis.

A cloned cell line (IP-B12) derived from a transplantable rat pulmonary carcinoma (IP), of which neoplastic cells produce parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP), was established. Tumors induced in syngeneic F344 rats by intraperitoneal injection of IP-B12 cells had features of pulmonary adenocarcinomas, consisting of neoplastic cells immunopositive to PTHrP. The IP-B12 tumor-bearing rats developed severe emaciation and hypercalcemia, with a marked elevation of plasma PTHrP level; there was an increase in osteoclastic areas of the femur and calcium depositions in systemic organs, indicating progression to humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy (HHM) in the tumor-bearing rats. In addition, the injection of IP-B12 cells into the left cardiac ventricle of syngeneic rats resulted in osteolytic skeletal metastases in the long bones and vertebrae. In the metastatic lesions, histologically, neoplastic cells showed an immunopositive reaction to PTHrP, and a prominent osteoclastic activity was seen; bone lesions, including osteolysis, fracture, and nerve compression as well as replacement of bone marrow cells by proliferated tumor cells were similar to those reported in human cancer patients with bone metastases. IP-B12 is a new animal model for HHM and osteolytic bone metastases, and will become a useful tool for studies on the pathogenesis and therapeutic strategies for such conditions.

Immunophenotypical changes of neoplastic cells and tumor-associated macrophages in a rat dendritic cell sarcoma-derived transplantable tumor line (KB-D8).

Basically, dendritic cell-derived sarcomas are characterized by expression of major histocompatibility complex class-II molecules, but the biological properties of the tumor cells remain to be elucidated. Recently, we established a novel transplantable cell line (KB-D8) from a dendritic cell sarcoma found in an F344 rat. In the present study, we investigated immunophenotypical changes of KB-D8 tumor cells and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) appearing in relation to tumor development in syngeneic F344 rats. A number of neoplastic cells in 0.5-cm-diameter KB-D8 tumors showed immunoreactions to OX6 (specific for rat antigen-presenting cells), ED1 (for rat exudate macrophages), and ED2 (for rat resident macrophages), and 72% and 11% of the OX6+ cells were double-immunostained with ED1 and ED2, respectively. Interestingly, the immunoreactions to these antibodies were gradually reduced with increasing size of KB-D8 tumors of 1-, 2-, and 3-cm diameter. These findings indicated that immunophenotypes of dendritic cell-derived sarcomas may be changeable depending on microenvironmental conditions in vivo. Many TAMs seen outside KB-D8 tumors reacted to OX6, ED1, and ED2; the numbers of TAMs immunopositive for these antibodies also decreased as the tumor grew. Similarly, the earlier temporary increase and subsequent gradual decrease in ED2+ and OX6+ cell numbers were observed in the spleen and liver of KB-D8-bearing rats. The reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction showed mRNA expressions of granulocyte/macrophage-colony stimulating factor, monocyte-chemoattractant protein-1, and osteopontin in KB-D8 tumor tissues. Although the functional roles (biphasic roles: suppressing or promoting) of these factors should be investigated further in relation to tumor development, the factors might be partially responsible for the TAM reactions. KB-D8 would be a useful experimental model to investigate the biological characteristics of dendritic cell sarcomas and tumor immunology in the host.

Establishment and characterization of transplantable tumor line (KB) and cell lines (KB-P and KB-D8) from a rat thymus-derived dendritic cell sarcoma.

A transplantable tumor line (KB) was established in syngeneic rats from a naturally occurring sarcoma that had arisen in the thymus of a 24-month-old male F344 rat. Further, a cell line (KB-P) was induced from KB and a cloned cell line (KB-D8) was isolated from KB-P. The primary thymic tumor and KB tumors showed heterogeneous histological growth patterns such as sheet-like, ill-defined bundle, fascicular and interwoven fashions, consisting of spindle cells, oval cells and histiocytic large round cells. Immunohistochemically, neoplastic cells in KB tumors and KB-P and KB-D8 cultures reacted to vimentin and were labeled with antibodies of OX6 (for rat major histocompatibility complex class-II antigens), ED5 (for rat follicular dendritic cells; FDCs) and RED-1 (for interdigitating dendritic cells) in varying degrees, indicating that neoplastic cells exhibited the immunophenotypes of rat dendritic cells. In addition, neoplastic cells were immunoreactive to ED1 (for rat monocytes/macrophages) and ED2 (for rat tissue macrophages), and also showed positive reactions to histiocytic lysosomal enzymes such as acid phosphatase and non-specific esterase. Ultrastructurally, neoplastic cells had cell surface projections, cisterna-like structures and variously developed lysosomes in the cytoplasm. Based on these findings, the present tumor was regarded as dendritic cell-derived sarcoma capable of expressing macrophage-like and histiocytic nature. A reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction method revealed that the addition of lipopolysaccharide dose dependently increased the expression of mRNA of transforming growth factor-beta1, a proinflammatory factor, in KB-D8 cells. The transplantable line (KB) and cell lines (KB-P and KB-D8) may become useful tools for studying the histogenesis and pathobiological functions of dendritic cells.