Morphometric evaluation of thrombogenesis by microvesicles from human tumor cell lines with thrombin-dependent (U87MG) and adenosine diphosphate-dependent (SKNMC) platelet-activating mechanisms

The Baumgartner perfusion apparatus has been used for quantitative comparison of the interaction of platelets with subendothelium in the presence of microvesicles derived from SKNMC (human neuroblastoma) cells, which aggregate platelets by an adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-dependent mechanism, and U87MG (human glioblastoma) cells, which function by a thrombin-dependent mechanism. The derived microvesicles from each line were as effective as the intact cells in inducing thrombogenesis on both undigested and alpha-chymotrypsin-digested subendothelium. Thrombus size on digested vessels was greater than on undigested vessels by fivefold for SKNMC cells and microvesicles and by 20-fold for U87MG cells and sevenfold for U87MG microvesicles. The results show that microvesicles from both cell lines initiate interactions between platelets and subendothelium identical to those caused by intact tumor cells. The results also demonstrate that intact tumor cells in the circulation may not be necessary for the thromboembolic complications of malignancy.