Angiogenesis, a biologic process whereby endothelial cells divide and
migrate to form new blood vessels, is a key step in tumor growth,
invasion, and metastasis. In the present study, we investigated the
differences in angioarchitecture between two different tumors induced
by cloned cell lines (MT-8 and MT-9), derived from a transplantable rat
malignant fibrous histiocytoma, by scanning electron microscopy of
vascular corrosion casts. During a 3-week observation period after
implantation, the growth of MT-8 tumors appeared to be faster than that
of MT-9 tumors. Histologically, MT-8 tumors were of the uniformly
undifferentiated sarcoma type arranged in characteristic organoid
structures, and MT-9 tumors showed a storiform growth pattern. In MT-8
tumors, neovascularization occurred by sprouting at postimplantation
(PI) week 1, and the newly formed capillaries gradually became more
tortuous. In MT-9 tumors, at PI week 1, the corrosion casts of newly
formed capillaries mainly showed a wavy course but no fingerlike
outgrowths of capillaries were seen. At PI weeks 2 and 3, the sprouting
was seen specifically in MT-9 tumors, forming basketlike structures and
glomeruloid structures of capillaries. These results indicate that
angiogenesis or angioarchitecture of MT-8 tumors is different from that
of MT-9 tumors, depending on the differences in their tumor histology
and by the features like absence or presence of basketlike structures
and glomeruloid structures of capillaries.