Extratumoral macrophages promote tumor and vascular growth in an orthotopic rat prostate tumor model.

ABSTRACT: Tumor-associated macrophages are involved in angiogenesis and tumor progression, but their role and specific site of action in prostate cancer remain unknown. To explore this, Dunning R-3327 AT-1 rat prostate tumor cells were injected into the prostate of syngenic and immunocompetent Copenhagen rats and analyzed at different time points for vascular proliferation and macrophage density. Endothelial proliferation increased with tumor size both in the tumor and importantly also in the extratumoral normal prostate tissue. Macrophages accumulated in the tumor and in the extratumoral normal prostate tissue and were most abundant in the invasive zone. Moreover, only extratumoral macrophages showed strong positive associations with tumor size and extratumoral vascular proliferation. Treatment wit

SUBMITTER: Halin S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2631142 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature