Sidestream dark field videomicroscopy for in vivo evaluation of vascularization and perfusion of mammary tumors in HER-2/neu transgenic mice.

Angiogenesis plays a key role in tumor growth and formation of metastases. Angiogenesis inhibitors and anti-vascular agents may prove useful in the treatment of breast cancer. A comprehensive characterization of the vasculature and perfusion of mammary tumors is a prerequisite for developing new specific drugs. We applied sidestream dark field videomicroscopy to evaluate in vivo the vascular network of spontaneous mammary tumors in HER-2/neu transgenic mice. The tumor masses showed higher vessel density as compared to the healthy mammary gland (total vessel density of 16.8 [13.4-20.5] mm/mm(2) versus 9.1 [8.1-10.9] mm/mm(2) , p<0.001). Tumor vessel density was reduced in mice treated with the anti-angiogenesis agent berberine (total vessel density of 12.1 [10.6-13.1] mm/mm(2) ). SDF imaging is a versatile technique that may be useful for understanding the role of angiogenesis in the progression of breast cancer and its relationship with outcome. It may represent a valuable tool for a dynamic monitoring of the effects of new anti-angiogenesis therapies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.