Abstract 5533: Imaging stromal recruitment during liver metastasis formation in the GFP-MUP-uPA mouse

Abstract Major urinary protein-urokinase type plasminogen activator (MUP-uPA) transgenic mice develop liver disease resembling that described for albumin promoter-uPA transgenic mice. We have developed the GFP-MUP-uPA mice, by crossing MUP-uPA mouse with transgenic C57/BL6 mouse expressing GFP. Hepatocyte fluorescence in this model is relatively weak. In contrast, GFP fluorescence of non-parenchymal cells such as stellate cells, Kupper cells and endotherial cells is very bright green more than parenchymal cells enabling the portal vein and sinusoid structure to be clearly visualized Huh7 liver cancer cells expressing red fluorescent protein (RFP) were injected in the spleen of MUP-uPA transgenic mice. By day 7, the Huh7-RFP celsl were visualized in the liver with the Olympus FV1000 conforcal microscope. The hepatoma cells grew around the sinusoids of the host liver. The liver-metastatic Huh7-RFP cells recruited bright GFP-expressing non-parenchymal cells. This model enables imaging the effects of uPA on liver metastasis and stromal recruitment enabling the metastasis to progress. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5533. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-5533