Results:  Over-expression of the chemokine receptor CCR7 enables non-metastatic tumor cells to recognise and grow towards LECs (3.9 fold compared with control), but not blood endothelial cells (0.9 fold), in vitro and in vivo in the absence of increased lymphatic clearance. Chemotactic metastasis was inhibited by a CCL21 neutralising antibody (4–17% of control). Furthermore, CCR7 expression in mouse B16 melanomas resulted in in-transit metastasis (50–100% of mice) that was less often seen with control tumors (0–50%) in vivo. Conclusion:  These results suggest that recognition Selleck Alectinib of LEC

by tumors expressing receptors for lymphatic specific ligands contributes towards the identification and invasion of lymphatics by melanoma cells and provides further evidence for a chemotactic metastasis model of tumor

spread. “
“Advances in high‐frequency (15–80 MHz) ultrasound‐based methods for the noninvasive assessment of the microcirculation are described. Well‐established Doppler imaging approaches for vascular imaging are reviewed and their limitations discussed. The use of microbubble (MB) contrast agents with both linear and nonlinear imaging sequences are shown to extend the range of Doppler approaches to the true capillary microcirculation. In particular, nonlinear scattering by MB contrast agents provide a unique intravascular Ulixertinib price signature that can be distinguished from the echoes caused by surrounding tissues. Ultrasound (US) has the ability to selectively eliminate enough the contrast by momentarily increasing US power. Reflow of new contrast then allows local measurement of the microcirculation at reduced power. The characteristic “wash‐in” of MB contrast contains valuable information on the local perfusion and the blood volume of the tissue. Thus, MB contrast agents act as a tracer revealing

the kinetics of tissue blood flow. Examples of wash‐in kinetics for tumor models are presented to illustrate the value of this approach for research in angiogenesis. Further refinement of this approach is described in which hemodynamic measures are mapped on a pixel‐by‐pixel basis to create parametric maps of relative blood volume and perfusion. The strengths and weaknesses of these new methods are discussed and the potential for their use in preclinical animal drug studies, clinical drug trials, and prognostic studies are described. “
“Please cite this paper as: Davis MJ. Perspective: Physiological Role(s) of the Vascular Myogenic Response. Microcirculation 19: 99–114, 2012. The vascular myogenic response is an inherent property of VSM in the walls of small arteries and arterioles, allowing these principal resistance segments of the microcirculation to respond to changes in transmural pressure. Elevated intraluminal pressure leads to myogenic constriction, whereas reduced pressure leads to myogenic dilation.