Kinetics of collagen and tenascin during progression of a human gingival carcinoma xenograft line, GK-1, in nude mice

Abstract

I studied biochemically and immunohistochemically the kinetics of collagen and tenascin during progression of a human gingival carcinoma xenograft line, GK-1, in nude mice. Total collagen content increased during progression of the tumor. Although the ratio of composition of type I collagen did not change after transplantation, type IV collagen, which localized in patchs in the basement membrane of the tumor nest, and type V collagen, increased gradually from five weeks after transplantation. Type III collagen decreased. Tenascin with subunits molecular weights of 220kDa and 130kDa localized in the stroma of the tumor mass and partially in the basement membrane of the tumor nest. There were little changes in its content from week to week. These findings indicated that collagen functions as a scaffold and a host response to tumor cell proliferation, and tenascin functions to maintain a suitable environment for the progressing tumor tissue.