Longitudinal Imaging of Cancer Cell Metastases in Two Preclinical Models: A Correlation of Noninvasive Imaging to Histopathology
Figure 6
Longitudinal bioluminescence imaging of mammary cancer cell metastasis in a syngeneic mouse model and correlation with histopathology. (a) 4T1-Luc cells, a murine mammary cancer cell line, were orthotopically injected in the mammary fat pad and serial bioluminescence imaging performed 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35 days after cancer cell implantation is shown. Red arrows indicate points at which primary tumors were resected when reaching 10 mm in diameter (top graph). In another group of 5 animals, the primary tumors remained intact (bottom graph). (b) BLI quantification of tumor growth at the implantation site (primary tumor) for both groups; the increase in BLI total signal intensity over time suggests progression of cancer at the primary tumor site. (c) BLI signal intensity at metastatic sites was correlated to T2W-MRI and with ex vivo imaging. (d) The correlation of BLI signals with H&E stained lung sections is shown for all animals with intact primary tumors. The green margins around the tumor lesions in H&E stained sections were used to calculate the area or percentage of tumor involvement. (e) The plot shows the correlation between the BLI signals at week 5, with percent tumor involvement in the lung calculated by histopathology.
