Skip to main content
British Journal of Cancer logoLink to British Journal of Cancer
. 1977 Mar;35(3):347–356. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1977.49

Avascular and vascular phases of tumour growth in the chick embryo.

D Knighton, D Ausprunk, D Tapper, J Folkman
PMCID: PMC2025276  PMID: 856240

Abstract

The chick embryo was used to study the relationship between the onset of tumour neovascularization and tumour growth. Walker 256 carcinosarcoma was implanted on the chrioallantoic membrane (CAM) of about 600 embryos aged 5-16 days. Tumour diameter and changes in the CAM vasculature in response to the implants were recorded daily. Representative tumours were examined by light microscopy of Epon-embedded tissue and autoradiography after injection of [3H]-thymidine. Tumours remained avascular for 72 h, after which they were penetrated by new blood vessels and began a phase of rapid growth. The rate of growth during this vascular phase was greatest for implants on 5- and 6-day-old embryos and decreased the later the day of implantation. The time of onset of tumour angiogenesis appears to be independent of the immunological state of the chick embryo, although the rate of growth after vascularization may be modified by the onset of immunity. This study suggests that the avascular and vascular phases of tumour growth are separable, and that the avascular tumour population lives under the growth constraints which limit the size of a tumour spheroid growing in soft agar or aqueous humour.

Full text

PDF
347

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Ausprunk D. H., Folkman J. Vascular injury in transplanted tissues. Fine structural changes in tumor, adult, and embryonic blood vessels. Virchows Arch B Cell Pathol. 1976 Jul 21;(1):31–44. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Ausprunk D. H., Knighton D. R., Folkman J. Differentiation of vascular endothelium in the chick chorioallantois: a structural and autoradiographic study. Dev Biol. 1974 Jun;38(2):237–248. doi: 10.1016/0012-1606(74)90004-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Ausprunk D. H., Knighton D. R., Folkman J. Vascularization of normal and neoplastic tissues grafted to the chick chorioallantois. Role of host and preexisting graft blood vessels. Am J Pathol. 1975 Jun;79(3):597–618. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cotran R. S., Suter E. R., Majno G. The use of colloidal carbon as a tracer for vascular injury. A review. Vasc Dis. 1967 Apr;4(2):107–127. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Folkman J., Hochberg M. Self-regulation of growth in three dimensions. J Exp Med. 1973 Oct 1;138(4):745–753. doi: 10.1084/jem.138.4.745. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. GOLDACRE R. J., SYLVEN B. A rapid method for studying tumour blood supply using systemic dyes. Nature. 1959 Jul 4;184:63–64. doi: 10.1038/184063a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gimbrone M. A., Jr, Leapman S. B., Cotran R. S., Folkman J. Tumor dormancy in vivo by prevention of neovascularization. J Exp Med. 1972 Aug 1;136(2):261–276. doi: 10.1084/jem.136.2.261. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. YOUNG J. S., LUMSDEN C. E., STALKER A. L. The significance of the tissue pressure of normal testicular and of neoplastic (Brown-Pearce carcinoma) tissue in the rabbit. J Pathol Bacteriol. 1950 Jul;62(3):313–333. doi: 10.1002/path.1700620303. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Cancer are provided here courtesy of Cancer Research UK

RESOURCES