Effect of leukocyte activation on the formation of heterotypic tumor-cell aggregates in vitro

Walker tumor cell (1 x 10(6) cells/ml) were incubated at 37 degrees C in a stirred cuvette with rat peritoneal exudate cells (9 x 10(6) cells/ml) with or without the synthetic leukocyte chemo-attractant fMLP (2 x 10(6) M) or biologically active concentrations of the major endogenous chemo-attractant, C5a. Aggregation, induced by the chemo-attractants, was detected after 3 min by a platelet aggregometer and by studying cytocentrifuge preparations. The response was amplified in the presence of cytochalasin B (5 micrograms/ml). Tumor cells could be identified in the aggregates by their morphology or by autoradiography after labeling with 3H-thymidine. Although tumor cells were incorporated into the leukocyte aggregates, there was no appreciable change in the number of aggregates formed between tumor cells themselves. Levine III human breast tumor cells (1 x 10(6)/ml) in heparinized human blood were incorporated into leukocyte aggregates within 30 min of adding 50 U cobra venom factor to activate complement. Aggregation correlated with a decrease in complement hemolytic activity (CH50). The aggregation reaction was not cytotoxic to tumor cells when evaluated by Trypan blue exclusion or by 51Cr release. We conclude that local tumor cells can be incorporated into aggregates formed when leukocytes are stimulated by chemo-attractants. We postulate that intravascular activation of neutrophils might affect the localization of circulating tumor cells by incorporating them into microembolic cell aggregates and by causing damage to the pulmonary endothelium.