Regional blood flow and capillary permeability in the ethylnitrosourea-induced rat glioma

Regional cerebral blood flow and capillary permeability of rat brains bearing ethylnitrosourea-induced gliomas of various size were investigated with 14C-antipyrine autoradiography and Evans blue staining. In the small tumors (less than 2 mm in diameter), blood flow was uniformly reduced when compared to the adjacent brain. Even in tiny tumors (0.3 to 0.4 mm in diameter), reduction in blood flow was evident. In the medium (2 to 4 mm in diameter) and large (greater than 4 mm in diameter) tumors, the blood flow increased or decreased depending on the part of the tumor examined. The necrotic center and peripheral edge had low blood flows, whereas the viable portion adjacent to the necrotic center had high blood flows. Blood flow in the brain tissue adjacent to medium and large tumors was lower than control brain tissue, probably due to local edema. Leakage of intravenous Evans blue in the tissue was only evident in the large tumors with central necrosis. The present findings suggest that neovascularization of the tumor may occur when the tumor reaches a certain size, and leaky new vessels may be the cause of brain edema associated with tumor.