MICROVESSEL DIAMETERS OF HUMAN COLON ADENOCARCINOMA DURING ACUTE TREATMENT WITH SEROTONIN

Authors
Citation
As. Lubbe et W. Huhnt, MICROVESSEL DIAMETERS OF HUMAN COLON ADENOCARCINOMA DURING ACUTE TREATMENT WITH SEROTONIN, International journal of microcirculation, clinical and experimental, 14(4), 1994, pp. 218-225
Citations number
23
Categorie Soggetti
Cardiac & Cardiovascular System
ISSN journal
01676865
Volume
14
Issue
4
Year of publication
1994
Pages
218 - 225
Database
ISI
SICI code
0167-6865(1994)14:4<218:MDOHCA>2.0.ZU;2-V
Abstract
Modulation of tumor blood flow could be of clinical importance, especi ally when it is combined with radio- or chemotherapy. Serotonin (5-HT) , a naturally occurring agent, selectively reduces tumor blood flow an d consecutively inhibits the growth of many animal tumors. Therefore, we introduce a new preparation that allows the study of topically appl ied 5-HT (10(-8) to 10(-2) mol/l) in the microcirculation of a human c olon adenocarcinoma. This tumor has been xenotransplanted subcutaneous ly under the dorsal surface of the ear in athymic nude mice. 5-HT was also tested in the normal skin. The microvascular diameters of large a nd small arterioles (A(1-3)) and venules (V-1-4) as well as capillarie s were measured via closed-circuit videomicroscopy. Normal skin arteri oles and venules constricted at higher doses (> 10(-7) mol/l) of 5-HT. In human colon carcinoma, doses of 5-HT higher than 10(-7) mol/l caus ed constriction of these microvessels; yet, tumor arterioles constrict ed more than skin arterioles. Thus, 5-HT could selectively reduce bloo d flow of human colon adenocarcinoma. Based on these findings, we sugg est that 5-HT can inhibit growth of human tumors by selectively constr icting tumor arterioles.