INVIVO MONITORING OF DEATH RATE OF ARTIFICIAL MURINE PULMONARY MICROMETASTASES

Google Scholar
  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 38  (5) , 1231-1236
Abstract
A system is described for direct monitoring of the death rate of artificial murine pulmonary microscopic metastases in vivo. Metastatic fibrosarcoma cells or benign connective tissue cells labeled with [125I]iododeoxyuridine were injected i.v. Comparison of the long-term radioactive decay rate of these 2 cell types in the lung permitted identification of the portion of the decay curve reflecting the initial period of micrometastasis development and growth. About 5% of the injected tumor cells were retained in the lung in micrometastasis, and their average death rate could be monitored by loss of radioactivity from the lung. Systemic methotrexate (75.0 mg/kg) was administered as a single dose 80 h after injection of tumor cells at a time when micrometastases had not yet become vascularized. This treatment killed about 60% of the micrometastases and suppressed the appearance of gross metastases at 14 days.