Morphological analysis of the mechanisms of organ-specific metastasis using intravital multiphoton microscopy

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We visualized the interactions between cancer cells and stromal cells in tumor microenvironment with regard to ‘organ-specific metastasis, and in vivo real-time chemotherapy response for metastatic tumor xenografts using intravital TPLSM. Cancer cells were arrested within hepatic sinusoids after intrasplenic cancer cell injection. Platelet aggregation surrounding a cancer cell was observed, indicating a phenomenon of tumor-cell induced platelet aggregation (TCIPA). Cancer cells were extravasated from hepatic sinusoids to the space of Disse. Protrusions of Kupffer cells surrounding a cancer cell were observed, indicating that Kupffer cells appear to phagocytose cancer cells. After 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or irinotecan chemotherapy, tumor cell fragmentation, condensation, swelling and intracellular vacuoles were observed. The platelet aggregation and the relatively decreased blood flow in the tumor vessels of colorectal liver metastases were also observed. 5-FU administration prior to the intrasplenic injection of cancer cells didn’t influence the adhesion of cancer cells to endothelial cells of hepatic sinusoids. We didn’t establish a liver metastasis model in subcutaneous tumor bearing mice because of the faster growth of subcutaneous tumor than liver metastatic tumor.