John Mclean

Openings between Defective Endothelial Cells Explain Tumor Vessel Leakiness

Leakiness of blood vessels in tumors may contribute to disease progression and is key to certain forms of cancer therapy, but the structural basis of the leakiness is unclear. We sought to determine whether endothelial gaps or transcellular holes, similar to those found in leaky vessels in inflammation, could explain the leakiness of tumor vessels. Blood vessels in MCa-IV mouse mammary carcinomas, which are known to be unusually leaky (functional pore size 1.2-2 microm), were compared to vessels in three less leaky tumors and normal mammary glands. Vessels were identified by their binding of intravascularly injected fluorescent cationic liposomes and Lycopersicon esculentum lectin and by CD31 (PECAM) immunoreactivity. The luminal surface of vessels in all four tumors had a defective endothelial monolayer as revealed by scanning electron microscopy. In MCa-IV tumors, 14% of the vessel surface was lined by poorly connected, overlapping cells. The most superficial lining cells, like endothelial cells, had CD31 immunoreactivity and fenestrae with diaphragms, but they had a branched phenotype with cytoplasmic projections as long as 50 microm. Some branched cells were separated by intercellular openings (mean diameter 1.7 microm; range, 0.3-4.7 microm). Transcellular holes (mean diameter 0.6 microm) were also present but were only 8% as numerous as intercellular openings. Some CD31-positive cells protruded into the vessel lumen; others sprouted into perivascular tumor tissue. Tumors in RIP-Tag2 mice had, in addition, tumor cell-lined lakes of extravasated erythrocytes. We conclude that some tumor vessels have a defective cellular lining composed of disorganized, loosely connected, branched, overlapping or sprouting endothelial cells. Openings between these cells contribute to tumor vessel leakiness and may permit access of macromolecular therapeutic agents to tumor cells.

Cationic liposomes target angiogenic endothelial cells in tumors and chronic inflammation in mice.

This study sought to determine whether angiogenic blood vessels in disease models preferentially bind and internalize cationic liposomes injected intravenously. Angiogenesis was examined in pancreatic islet cell tumors of RIP-Tag2 transgenic mice and chronic airway inflammation in Mycoplasma pulmonis-infected C3H/HeNCr mice. For comparison, physiological angiogenesis was examined in normal mouse ovaries. We found that endothelial cells in all models avidly bound and internalized fluorescently labeled cationic liposomes (1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane [DOTAP]/cholesterol or dimethyldioctadecyl ammonium bromide [DDAB]/cholesterol) or liposome-DNA complexes. Confocal microscopic measurements showed that angiogenic endothelial cells averaged 15-33-fold more uptake than corresponding normal endothelial cells. Cationic liposome-DNA complexes were also avidly taken up, but anionic, neutral, or sterically stabilized neutral liposomes were not. Electron microscopic analysis showed that 32% of gold-labeled liposomes associated with tumor endothelial cells were adherent to the luminal surface, 53% were internalized into endosomes and multivesicular bodies, and 15% were extravascular 20 min after injection. Our findings indicate that angiogenic endothelial cells in these models avidly bind and internalize cationic liposomes and liposome-DNA complexes but not other types of liposomes. This preferential uptake raises the possibility of using cationic liposomes to target diagnostic or therapeutic agents selectively to angiogenic blood vessels in tumors and sites of chronic inflammation.

Microvascular Remodelling In Chronic Airway Inflammation In Mice

1. Chronic inflammation is associated with blood vessel remodelling, including vessel proliferation and enlargement, and changes in vessel phenotype. We sought to characterize these changes in chronic airway inflammation and to determine whether corticosteroids that inhibit inflammation, such as dexamethasone, can also reduce microvascular remodelling.

Sites of Uptake and Expression of Cationic Liposome/DNA Complexes Injected Intravenously

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an overview of the molecular mechanisms regulating the uptake and expression of DNA delivered by cationic liposomes. Although cationic-liposome-based DNA delivery systems are being used in clinical and preclinical gene-therapy protocols, little is known about the distribution and cellular uptake of cationic liposomes in vivo. The research described in this chapter focuses on the fate of systemically administered cationic liposomes and liposome/DNA complexes in mice. This chapter emphasizes on determining which cells within an animal are able to internalize liposomes and complexes after intravenous administration and to what extent uptake correlates with expression of plasmid reporter genes delivered by liposome complexes. Several strategies have been used to pursue the objectives of this research. Primarily fluorescent microscopy, both conventional and confocal, has been used. It is used to track the fate of fluorescently labeled liposomes and DNA after intravenous delivery in mice. Also, electron microscopy is used to examine the intracellular fate of gold-labeled liposomes. In addition, several different reporter genes have been used to measure expression from plasmid DNA delivered to various cellular sites. Yet, it is just the beginning stage of understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating the uptake and expression of DNA delivered by cationic liposomes.