CONCENTRATION OF FIBRONECTIN IN PLASMA OF TUMOR-BEARING MICE AND SYNTHESIS BY EHRLICH ASCITES TUMOR-CELLS

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 39  (9) , 3774-3779
Abstract
The concentration of fibronectin (FN) in plasma and in ascitic fluid of mice was studied at different times after inoculation of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. The ability of Ehrlich ascites cells to synthesize and release FN; and the localization of FN in Ehrlich ascites cells by immunofluorescence microscopy were also studied. At 4-5 days after inoculation of the tumor, the plasma concentration of FN was significantly higher [1.7 .+-. 0.07% of total plasma protein] than that in the normal control mice (0.8 .+-. 0.035); FN is present in the ascitic fluid in all phases of tumor growth. Ehrlich ascites cells cultured in vitro synthesize and release large amounts of FN in the culture medium. Only about 1-2% of the tumor cells show a very small amount of FN and this is mostly in the area of cell-cell contact.