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Phenotypic characterization of normal and neoplastic canine endothelial cells by lectin histochemistry
H G Augustin-Voss1, C A Smith, R M Lewis
1Department of Pathology, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca.
Insights
Canine tumor endothelial cells show altered cell surface sugars compared to normal cells. These changes in glycosylation indicate cell surface changes during tumor development in dogs.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Pathology
- Oncology
- Glycobiology
Background:
- Endothelial cells form blood vessels and play a role in tumor growth.
- Altered cell surface glycoconjugates are a hallmark of cancer.
- Canine hemangiomas and hemangiosarcomas are common vascular tumors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare cell surface glycoconjugate expression in canine cutaneous hemangiomas/hemangiosarcomas with normal endothelial cells.
- To identify specific lectin binding changes indicative of neoplastic transformation.
Main Methods:
- Indirect immunoperoxidase technique using eight different lectins.
- Pretreatment with neuraminidase to reveal specific sugar residues.
- Comparison of lectin binding patterns between neoplastic and normal canine endothelial cells.
Main Results:
- Neoplastic endothelial cells showed altered lectin binding compared to normal cells.
- Wheat germ agglutinin binding was enhanced, while several others were reduced.
- Ulex europaeus agglutinin-I binding was observed in tumors but not normal endothelium.
- Soybean agglutinin binding varied in tumors, unlike normal endothelial cells.
- Lectin binding was heterogenous within tumors, unlike uniform normal cell binding.
Conclusions:
- Canine cutaneous tumor endothelial cells exhibit significant phenotypic heterogeneity.
- Changes in cell surface glycosylation are associated with neoplastic transformation in canine vascular tumors.
- Lectin analysis provides insights into the altered glycobiology of tumor endothelial cells.
Abstract:
Cell surface glycoconjugate expression of endothelial cells in canine cutaneous hemangiomas and hemangiosarcomas was compared to normal cutaneous endothelial cells using eight different lectins (with and without neuraminidase pretreatment) in an indirect immunoperoxidase technique. Direct comparison of lectin binding pattern of neoplastic endothelial cells with adjacent normal endothelial cells revealed minor changes in the binding intensity of several lectins (enhanced: Wheat germ agglutinin [WGA]; reduced: Griffonia simplicifolia-I [GS-I], Ricinus communis agglutinin-I [RCA-I], Soybean agglutinin after neuraminidase pretreatment [Neu-SBA], and Wheat germ agglutinin after neuraminidase treatment [Neu-WGA]). Neoplastic endothelial cells in some tumors exhibited varying binding of Ulex europaeus agglutinin-I (UEA-I; not binding to normal canine endothelial cells) and no Soybean agglutinin (SBA) binding (variably binding to normal endothelial cells in small cutaneous vessels). Lectin binding of neoplastic cells was rather heterogenous within one tumor compared to the uniform binding pattern of normal endothelial cells. These lectin binding studies demonstrate the phenotypic heterogeneity of neoplastic endothelial cells, indicating changes of cell surface glycosylation during neoplastic transformation.
