Characterization of tumor vasculature derived from angiogenesis andvasculogenesis by high-frequency three-dimensional Doppler ultrasound

Abstract

Tumor vasculature is derived angiogenesis within primary tumors fromsprouting host preexisting vessels and vasculogenesis within recurrent tumorsfrom bone-marrow. The tumor recurred by means of the pathway of vasculogenesisafter the tumor received unsuccessful therapy, and it has lower curability totherapy. Thus, investigating the features of tumor vascular patterns between thetwo vasculature pathways may provide a method for assisting improving tumortherapy. In this study, we proposed the potential of high-frequency ultrasound3D Doppler images for characterizing pathways of the tumor vasculatures inrecurrent and primary tumors in vivo. Murine tumors were transplanted innon-irradiated and pre-irradiated tissues to imitate the primary and recurrenttumor models, respectively. The 7th days after inoculation, thecineloop of power Doppler-mode images were recorded to reconstruct 3-D tumorvasculature images using 40-MHz Doppler imaging system. Recurrent tumors showthe blood vessels were more dilated and continuous than those in primary tumors.Recurrent tumors exhibited higher expression of tumor perfusion and lower thefeature of branching pattern in tumor vasculature compared with primary tumors.Tumor volume values had no difference between the two tumor models. The studysuggested that tumor perfusion and the feature of branching pattern in tumorvasculature could used to discriminate the angiogenesis and vasculogenesispathways. It has the potential for exporting the responses ofanti-vasculogenesis drug and improving the curability of recurrent tumors in thefuture. © 2010 IEEE.