Figure 4: Tumour cell-derived VEGFC is necessary for stress-induced lymphatic metastasis.
From: Chronic stress in mice remodels lymph vasculature to promote tumour cell dissemination
(a) qRT–PCR analysis of tumour cell (human)- or stroma (mouse)-specific VEGF gene expression in MDA-MB-231 primary tumours of control versus stressed mice (n=5). Expression normalized to RPL30. (b) qRT–PCR analysis of Vegfc gene expression in 66cl4 and MMTV-PyMT primary tumours. Expression normalized to Rpl30 (n=5). (c) qRT–PCR analysis of Vegfc gene expression in 66cl4 primary tumours of control or stressed mice treated with propranolol (n=5). Expression normalized to Rpl30. (d) qRT–PCR analysis of mouse-specific Vegfr3 (Flt4) gene expression in MDA-MB-231 primary tumours (n=5). Expression normalized to Rpl30. (e) Representative images and quantification of bioluminescence from mice with MDA-MB-231 tumours expressing VEGFC short hairpin RNA (knockdown, KD) or scrambled (SCR) control (n=5). (f) qRT–PCR analysis of VEGFC gene expression in MDA-MB-231 tumour cells (TCs), human LECs or primary macrophages (MØ) treated with isoproterenol or vehicle (n=3). Expression normalized to RPL30. (g) qRT–PCR analysis of Vegfc gene expression in CD11b+F4/80+ TAMs isolated from 66cl4 tumours in control versus stressed mice (n=3). *P<0.05, **P<0.01 and ***P<0.001 by Student’s t-test or two-way analysis of variance (post hoc Tukey’s adjustment).
