PUBLICATION

How Tumors Affect Hemodynamics: A Diffusion Study on the Zebrafish Transplantable Model of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma by Selective Plane Illumination Microscopy

Authors
Carra, S., Gaudenzi, G., Franceschetti, G., Collini, M., Sironi, L., Bouzin, M., Persani, L., Chirico, G., Vitale, G., D'Alfonso, L.
ID
ZDB-PUB-250109-187
Date
2024
Source
International Journal of Molecular Sciences   25(24): (Journal)
Registered Authors
Keywords
medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), selective plane illumination microscopy (SPIM), tumor xenograft, vascular permeability, zebrafish
MeSH Terms
  • Humans
  • Hemodynamics*
  • Thyroid Neoplasms*/diagnostic imaging
  • Thyroid Neoplasms*/metabolism
  • Thyroid Neoplasms*/pathology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian
  • Capillary Permeability
  • Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine*/diagnostic imaging
  • Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine*/metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine*/pathology
  • Animals
  • Zebrafish*
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic/metabolism
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Microscopy/methods
PubMed
39769158 Full text @ Int. J. Mol. Sci.
Abstract
Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), a rare neuroendocrine tumor comprising 3-5% of thyroid cancers, arises from calcitonin-producing parafollicular C cells. Despite aggressive behavior, surgery remains the primary curative treatment, with limited efficacy reported for radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Recent efforts have explored the pathogenetic mechanisms of MTC, identifying it as a highly vascularized neoplasm overexpressing pro-angiogenic factors. Building on the established benefits of zebrafish embryos, we previously created an in vivo MTC xenograft platform that allows real-time observation of tumor-induced angiogenesis and evaluation of the anti-angiogenic effects of tyrosine kinase inhibitors. In this study, we present a method using selective plane illumination microscopy (SPIM) to characterize vascular permeability in these xenografted embryos. Taking advantage of dextran injections into the blood flow of zebrafish embryos, we found that the diffusion coefficient in embryos grafted with MTC cells was about tenfold lower compared with the same parameter in controls. The results demonstrate the potential of our approach to estimate diffusion parameters, providing valuable insights into vascular permeability changes in MTC-implanted zebrafish embryos compared with controls. Our study sheds light on the intricate vascular biology of MTC, offering a promising tool for future investigations into tumor-induced angiogenesis and therapeutic strategies in diverse neoplasms.
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