Lung Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Lung Cancer, including details on symptoms, smoking, genetics, treatment, causes.

Tumor angiogenesis and metastasis formation are associated with individual differences in behavior of inbred Lewis rats.

Sajti E, Kavelaars A, van Meeteren N, Teunis M, Gispen WH, Heijnen C

Lab for Psychoneuroimmunology, Department of immunology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Lundlaan 6, 3584 EA, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

There are large individual differences in cancer progression and it has been suggested that behavioral and psychological characteristics of cancer patients may contribute to the course of the disease. To get more insight in the contribution of behavioral characteristics to cancer progression, we investigated in rats, whether a stable behavioral trait characteristic is associated with NK cell activity, tumor angiogenesis, and tumor metastasis formation. Lewis rats were characterized based on locomotor activity in an open field. Rats in the upper and lower quartile were designated as high and low active rats. Low active animals had higher NK cell activity compared to their high active counterparts. In addition, we examined tumor angiogenesis by using a subcutaneous Matrigel implant containing MADB106 adenocarcinoma cells. Tumor Matrigel implants from low active animals contained significantly more hemoglobin compared to implants from high active animals, indicating a more pronounced angiogenic response in the low active animals. Finally, experimental lung metastasis formation was investigated by injecting MADB106 cells into the tail vein. Low active animals tended to develop more metastases. Moreover, low active animals developed significantly more tumors with a diameter larger than 2 mm, which is in line with higher angiogenic capacity. In conclusion, we demonstrated that individual differences in a stable behavioral trait are linked to individual differences in angiogenic capacity and tumor progression.

Published 27 August 2004 in Brain Behav Immun, 18(6): 497-504.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Lung Cancer Research Today. All Rights Reserved.