Click on image to view larger version.
Figure 1. Enhanced tumor VEGF or PlGF expression promotes tumor vasculogenesis in flk/LacZ/BMT model. A) Schematic demonstrates flk/lacZ/BMT model. After engraftment, animals were implanted subcutaneously with tumor cells stably transfected with vector in right flank and tumor cells stably transfected with vector encoding VEGF or PlGF in left flank. Tumors were analyzed at day 14 after implantation. B) Tumors implanted into flk/lacZ mice (positive controls) were analyzed by LacZ immunohistochemistry (arrows point to immunoreactive ECs of both large and small vessels). Parallel analysis of negative controls in inset. C) Representative histology from Bl6F10 vector tumor obtained from flk/lacZ/BMT demonstrates a longitudinal section through a LacZ positive small vessel containing red blood cells (arrow). D) Representative histology from Bl6F10VEGF tumor obtained from flk/lacZ/BMT demonstrates numerous LacZ-positive vessels (arrows). E) Fold change in ß-gal enzyme activity, as a marker for donor (BM-derived) vessels, was measured in VEGF-overexpressing (F) or PlGF-overexpressing (G) tumor homogenates as compared withcontralateral control tumor residing within same mouse to quantify effect of VEGF and PlGF on vasculogenesis.
