Optimization of a widefield structured illumination microscope for non-destructive assessment and quantification of nuclear features in tumor margins of a primary mouse model of sarcoma.

Cancer is associated with specific cellular morphological changes, such as increased nuclear size and crowding from rapidly proliferating cells. In situ tissue imaging using fluorescent stains may be useful for intraoperative detection of residual cancer in surgical tumor margins. We developed a widefield fluorescence structured illumination microscope (SIM) system with a single-shot FOV of 2.1 × 1.6 mm (3.4 mm(2)) and sub-cellular resolution (4.4 µm). The objectives of this work were to measure the relationship between illumination pattern frequency and optical sectioning strength and signal-to-noise ratio in turbid (i.e. thick) samples for selection of the optimum frequency, and to determine feasibility for detecting residual cancer on tumor resection margins, using a genetically engineered primary mouse model of sarcoma. The SIM system was tested in tissue mimicking solid phantoms with various scattering levels to determine impact of both turbidity and illumination frequency on two SIM metrics, optical section thickness and modulation depth. To demonstrate preclinical feasibility, ex vivo 50 µm frozen sections and fresh intact thick tissue samples excised from a primary mouse model of sarcoma were stained with acridine orange, which stains cell nuclei, skeletal muscle, and collagenous stroma. The cell nuclei were segmented using a high-pass filter algorithm, which allowed quantification of nuclear density. The results showed that the optimal illumination frequency was 31.7 µm(-1) used in conjunction with a 4 × 0.1 NA objective (v=0.165). This yielded an optical section thickness of 128 µm and an 8.9 × contrast enhancement over uniform illumination. We successfully demonstrated the ability to resolve cell nuclei in situ achieved via SIM, which allowed segmentation of nuclei from heterogeneous tissues in the presence of considerable background fluorescence. Specifically, we demonstrate that optical sectioning of fresh intact thick tissues performed equivalently in regards to nuclear density quantification, to physical frozen sectioning and standard microscopy.

Assessment of the role of neutrophils on the antitumor effect of TNFalpha in an in vivo isolated limb perfusion model in sarcoma-bearing brown Norway rats.

INTRODUCTION: Isolated limb perfusion (ILP) with TNFalpha in combination with melphalan and IFNgamma has resulted in an immediate and dramatic tumor response in patients. Such an effect was also noted following ILP in a rat sarcoma model. This model enables us to investigate several factors responsible for the TNFalpha-induced tumor responses. We applied total body irradiation (TBI) to reduce white blood cell count, to investigate the contribution of leukocytes to the anti-tumor effect of TNFalpha. METHODS: Small fragments of the nonimmunogenic BN 175 sarcoma were implanted sc in the lower hind leg. A 5 Gy TBI was performed before ILP at a tumor diameter of approximately 15 mm. The hind limbs of 63 rats were perfused and were divided into 6 groups: group 1, sham perfusion, n = 9; group 2, TBI + sham perfusion, n = 6; group 3, TNFalpha 50 microgram, n = 9; group 4, melphalan 40 microgram, n = 9; group 5, TNFalpha 50 microgram + melphalan 40 microgram, n = 22; group 6, TBI + TNFalpha + melphalan ILP, n = 8. In addition, 10 rats were perfused for histological analysis at 24 h post-ILP. RESULTS: We observed in Group 1: 9/9 progressive disease (PD); Group 2: 6/6 PD; Group 3: 9/9 PD; Group 4: 9/9 no change (NC) of tumor diameter for at least 4 days; Group 5: 6/22 NC, 16/22 complete remission (CR), 12/16 of which showed skin necrosis at the tumor site; and Group 6: 7/8 NC and 1/8 CR (without skin necrosis). After TBI, WBC reduction of 80-95% was observed, while the number of platelets was not significantly reduced and platelet aggregation was maintained at 72 %. Histological analysis revealed decreased hemorrhagic necrosis associated with the absence of PMN infiltration at the tumor margins in the TBI rats. CONCLUSION: TBI and the associated reduction in WBC count decreased the tumor response by TNFalpha and melphalan significantly and abrogated the immediate response of skin necrosis at the tumor site, as found in rats treated with TNFalpha and melphalan without TBI. These data strongly suggest that leukocytes play an important role in the hemorrhagic effects of TNFalpha.

Spontaneously metastasizing rat sarcomas LW13K2 and RPS: assessment by the immunogenetic test of malignancy, in vitro behaviour and karyology.

Populations of LW13K2 sarcoma derivatives were compared for their malignancy, patterns of cell behaviour in vitro (dynamic morphology and migration) and karyological pattern. The following tumour cell populations were used: the original LW13K2 sarcoma from inbred LEW/CUB rats, RPS sarcoma derived from it by neoplastic progression, four cell populations isolated in vitro from metastases of a syngeneic LEW-CUB strain rat with RPS tumour and four neoplastic cell populations isolated from spontaneous metastases shed by RPS sarcoma in allogeneic rats, differing from LEW/CUB in weak alloantigenic loci. Although RPS tumour did not grow progressively in MHC-different recipients (while the original LW13K2 tumour did), it grew progressively and metastasized in all groups of non-MHC allogeneic recipients. Parallel with the metastatic potential patterns of in vitro behaviour, such as an increased incidence of the quasi-stellate morphotype at slightly acid culture conditions endowed with enhanced changeability of the cell shape and migrational activity, were found. Cytogenetic analysis demonstrated rather stable chromosomal patterns over the cascade of neoplastic progression from LW13K2 sarcoma over RPS sarcoma to freshly isolated metastases. This indicated that the apparent neoplastic progression observed in the cell populations derived from LW13K2 sarcoma is with high probability not due to the selection at the chromosomal level.

Resting energy expenditure of host and tumor is similar in rats with methylcholanthrene-induced sarcoma.

In the present study we assessed the resting energy expenditure of 30 free-feeding control and methylcholanthrene-induced sarcoma-bearing rats prior to and following surgical removal of the tumor. Tumor-bearing rats demonstrated carcass wasting and massive tumor growth. The resting energy expenditure data in our model suggest that neither the presence and growth of a tumor nor its removal significantly change resting energy expenditure beyond the normal range for non-tumor-bearing rats. We suggest that in the partition of energy costs between host and tumor, both carry a similar input, proportional to their relative weight, into the total combined resting energy expenditure of host and tumor.

Assessment of in situ host immunity to syngeneic tumors utilizing the multicellular spheroid model.

In situ host immunity to the EMT6/Ro mammary sarcoma tumor was evaluated by implanting multicellular spheroids of this tumor into the peritoneal cavity of syngeneic BALB/cKa mice and determining the kinetics of host cell infiltration and tumor cell killing. Spheroids grown in vitro and implanted into unsensitized mice continued to grow resulting in peritoneal tumor masses and eventual death of the animal. However, in mice previously sensitized with a single injection of heavily irradiated EMT6/Ro cells, spheroids implanted intraperitoneally were rapidly infiltrated by host immune cells (macrophages, lymphocytes, and granulocytes), tumor cell killing was detectable within 1 day and by Day 6 essentially no clonogenic tumor cells were recoverable. Despite this marked loss of both total and clonogenic tumor cells, there was little decrease in the diameter of the spheroids recovered during this time period. Physical size thus does not provide a reliable estimation of tumor cell killing. The tumor cell killing was immunologically specific in that little killing was observed when EMT6/Ro spheroids were implanted into mice sensitized with other allogeneic or syngeneic tumor cells. Host cells from within the spheroids were found to be cytotoxic for EMT6/Ro tumor cells in a 51Cr release assay. A major portion of these cytotoxic cells appear to be T lymphocytes. However, other host cell types may also be involved in the in vivo tumor cell killing.

In vivo assessment of basic 2-nitroimidazole radiosensitizers.

The radiosensitizing efficiencies of 4 structural analogues of misonidazole (MISO) have been compared with that of the parent compound. Three of these were charged basic compounds, previously shown in vitro to be 10 times more efficient. Enhancement ratios were measured from pairs of tumour growth-delay curves for the mouse fibrosarcoma SA Fab. Two routes of administration and ranges of drug dose and intervals between injection and irradiation were tested. Drug concentrations in blood, brain and tumor were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography. The peak concentration in tumours coincided with the peak in radiosensitization: 20 min after i.v. injection and 40 min after i.p. injection. The concentration in tumours was similar for either route. Comparison of radiosensitizing efficiency on the basic of equal administered dose showed no difference between the 5 compounds, but after equimolar doses the charged compounds achieved lower tumour concentrations. Comparison of sensitizing efficiency on the basis of tumour concentration showed that they were 3 times more potent than MISO, as predicted from their higher electron-affinity. The resultant improvement in radiosensitization at low, clinically relevant, concentrations is so slight that any therapeutic benefit would depend on reduced drug toxicity in man.

Assessment of tumour response in a rat rhabdomyosarcoma.

A rhabdomyosarcoma in a WAG/Rij rat with capacity for colony growth after tumour excision and enzymatic dissociation has been used to study response to high and low LET radiation. End points are tumor volume response, TCD50/180, clonogenic capability after tumour irradiation in situ, and in vitro cell survival after irradiation in both the well-oxygenated and the hypoxic conditions. Experience has shown that sublines with different growth rates, radiosensitivity and plating efficiency can arise from the same frozen stock. The conclusions that can be drawn from an analysis of the data obtained to date are as follows: 1. There is no correlation between the doubling times of our two cell lines growing in culture and in the animal. 2. RBE values obtained from growth delay and from TCD50 end points are in fair agreement. 3. Cell survival curves obtained after in situ irradiation show the cells to be more radioresistant than cells irradiated in suspension in vitro. 4. RBE values for cell survival after in situ irradiation compare favourably with those obtained both for tumour growth delay and in vitro cell survival. 5. Not enough is known at present about radiation-altered cell kinetics to develop a self-consistent model of tumour response after irradiation.