Studies on the Exchange of Fluids Between Host and Tumor. II. The Blood Flow of Hepatomas and Other Tumors In Rats and Mice2

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Abstract
The blood supply of transplanted tumors was studied by two methods. The first, a direct method, is based on the cannulation of the single vein draining the blood from the neoplasm. The second, an indirect method, is based on the distribution of two indicators, K42 and Rb86, to the tumor. In rats, the blood supply of all tumors studied followed a uniform pattern independent of the histologic type, site of implantation, and size of the neoplasm. The results of both methods were remarkably close. The average value of the blood supply to tumors grown “tissue-isolated” was 0.14 ± 0.01 ml per hour per mg N with the direct method and 0.15 ± 0.01 ml per hour per mg N with the indirect method. The average value of blood supply to subcutaneous transplants was 0.17 ± 0.02 ml per hour per mg N. Therefore, a hepatoma had a blood supply roughly 20-fold smaller than that of the host liver. Livers regenerating after hepatectomy had the same blood supply as normal livers when the values were expressed in ml per hour per mg N. In mice, the blood supply of tumors followed the general pattern found in rats. The total amount of blood flowing through the host organ did not influence the growth rate of the transplanted tumor if the flow reached the required low rate.