Figure 6.

Histomorphological aspects in 4 µm thickness sections obtained from oral squamous cell carcinoma (HSC3 line) spheroids, both homotypic and heterotypic (co-cultured with cancer-associated fibroblasts, CAF). (A) Necrotic cores (dotted red line) formed in homotypic (left) and heterotypic (right) spheroids. In the homotypical groups, the loss of cellular adhesion and tissue pattern suggest liquefactive necrosis. In mixed spheroids, multiple focal amorphic and eosinophilic areas were noticed, due to a difference in extracellular matrix deposition, and suggest a pattern of ischemic necrosis. Scale bar: 200 μm. (B) Towards the periphery of the spheroid, a pattern of loss of cellular adhesion and hyperchromatic nuclei was frequent (red arrows), representative of necrotic cells. Images obtained using Axio Imager Z2/VSLIDE. Coloring: H/E. Scale bar: 200 μm (top) and 100 μm (bottom).