Differential Response of Skin Epithelium to Growth-Promoting Effects of Subcutaneously Transplanted Tumor*
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Differential Response of Skin Epithelium to Growth-promoting Effects of Subcutaneously Transplanted Tumor* THOMASS.ARGYRISANDBERTIEF. ARGYRIS (Department of Zoology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York) SUMMARY Subcutaneously transplanted Ehrlich ascites tumor invaded the subcutis of the overlying skin and resulted in epidermal enlargement, consisting of cell hyperplasia and hypertrophy. The resting hair follicles, on the other hand, were completely un affected by the invading tumor. The growing tumor eventually invaded the dermis, resulting in a further increase in the thickness of the epidermis. However, the hair follicles, even though completely surrounded by the invading tumor, remained un affected. The cells of the resting hair follicles and those of the basal layer of the epidermis had the same developmental potentiality and were interchangeable. Therefore, the results indicate that the physiological condition of a tissue, or its competence, is important in determining a positive outcome in a growth-promoting interaction. We report the results of an investigation which mor. Plucking initiated hair growth in the plucked demonstrates that Subcutaneously transplanted area only (13). Upon completion of the growth Ehrlich ascites tumor stimulates the epidermis of phase of the hair growth cycle the hair follicles the skin but does not affect the resting hair fol again entered the resting phase and remained licles. These results are important, because they there throughout the course of the experimental demonstrate that two tissues—namely, the epi period; if not, the animals were discarded. dermis and resting hair follicles—which are de- To study the effects of the Ehrlich ascites tumor velopmentally equivalent and are interchangeable on the skin, 69 mice were given inoculations sub- (12, 14), respond differently, presumably to the cutaneously of 0.1 ml. of Ehrlich ascites tumor. same growth-promoting influences. For details of the technic, precautions taken to maintain sterility, and source of tumor, see MATERIALS AND METHODS Argyris and Argyris (2, 3). Biopsy specimens of In total, 189 young adult C57BL mice of both the tumor and overlying skin were taken at 2, 4, 7, sexes were used in this investigation. All mice 10, 14, 21, and 28 days. Six hours prior to removal came from our own inbred colony or from the of the tumor and the overlying skin, the mice Jackson Memorial Laboratory, Bar Harbor, were given injections Subcutaneously of 0.1 mg. Maine. The mice were kept in an air-conditioned colchicine in 0.25 ml. of saline. As controls, six animal room, fed Purina Laboratory Chow and mice whose skin was in the resting phase were water ad libitum, and lettuce and cod liver oil- given injections of colchicine, as described above, soaked pellets, weekly. and biopsy specimens of the skin were taken 6 The hair follicles of mice undergo cycles of hours later. growth and rest (12, 14). To be certain that the To determine the effect of mild epidermal dam hair follicles would be in the resting phase through age, twenty mice with resting hair follicles were out the course of investigation, all mice were shaved. Biopsy specimens were taken at 2, 3, 4, 7, plucked 21 days previous to inoculation of the tu- and 9 days. These mice were pretreated with col * This investigation was supported by grants from Ruth chicine prior to removal of the biopsy specimens Estrin Goldberg Memorial Foundation and the National as described above. Science Foundation. All biopsy specimens were fixed in 10 per cent Received for publication July 24, 1961. formol-calcium, dehydrated and cleared in dioxan, 73 Downloaded from cancerres.aacrjournals.org on September 28, 2021. © 1962 American Association for Cancer Research. 74 Cancer Research Vol. 22, January 1962 embedded in paraffin, and semi-serially sectioned at reasonable to consider the upper sheath of the 6 p. Sections were stained with toluidine blue, pH resting follicle functionally as a continuation of 3.5. the basal layer of the epidermis (9),2 a convention To relate the histological changes with tumor which we shall arbitrarily use. growth, about 60 mice were given inoculations of There is considerable mitotic activity in the 0.1 ml. of Ehrlich ascites tumor as described sebaceous glands but none in the dermis. Mitotic above. Tumors were dissected free and their wet activity is also absent in the panniculus carnosus, and dry weights determined at 2, 4, 7, 10, 14, 21, the muscle layer of the skin. Beneath the pannicu and 28 days. Similarly, 40 mice were given sub lus carnosus is a thin layer of loose areolar connec cutaneous inoculations of .05 ml. of tumor, and tive tissue, in which mitoses also are rare. the tumors were dissected out and their wet and Histological changes in Ehrlich ascites tumor and dry weights determined at 2, 7, 10, and 14 days. mouse skin following tumor inoculation.—Within 2 days after tumor inoculation the tumor showed RESULTS considerable growth (Table 1). It was composed of Histology of mouse skin.—A bare outline of the two areas: the outer area was deeply basophilic histological structure and mitotic pattern of mouse and had a number of layers of cells in which skin with resting hair follicles, pretreated with mitoses were frequent; the central area was under going necrosis, but mitoses might also be seen. TABLE1 The skin was not invaded and was normal, but WETANDDRYWEIGHTSOFEHRLICHASCITESTUMOR the subpannicular connective tissue was stimu (EAT)ATDIFFERENTDAYSAFTERSUBCUTANEOUS lated, showing a considerable amount of mitosis INOCULATION and metachromasia. Four to 6 days after tumor inoculation, the EAT*No.tumors7612151064WeightML. EAT*No.tumora895117WeightML. tumor did not show any significant increase in mass (Table 1); however, both outer and central mg.(Av.±S.E.)Wet58in tag.(Av.±S.E.)Wet19±434in DAT12467101421280.1 areas of the tumor appeared thicker. In ten cases the skin was normal except for a mild cellular in filtration in the subcutis. However, in three biopsy specimens the tumor had invaded the skin as far as the dermis. In these cases there was a +744 ±.18.5+.113 definite enlargement of the epidermis, owing to an +859 +534 +437±738 +19±117 increase in cell number and size; but the resting +6114 +121+320+. hair follicles were unaffected (Fig. 2). +10108+4127 Tumor mass was increased by 10 days (Table 724 + 7Dry3±.66+.910+ 1 +7309 +251+60.05 1). Correspondingly, both the outer area and the + 36Dry12 central necrotic area were bigger. Most of the sections showed normal skin, with the exception of * Amount of fluid tumor inoculated subcutaneously. a definite cellular infiltration in the panniculus carnosus and subcutis. The underlying subpan colchicine, is presented for purposes of orientation. nicular connective tissue continued to be enor Details may be found in Chase (12) and Montagna mously thickened, had many mitotic figures, and (14). was metachromatic. The epidermis is one or two cell layers in thick In a few cases, the subcutis of the skin was in ness. The basal layer shows occasional mitotic vaded by tumor cells. As before, the epidermis, figures. The resting hair follicles were made up of but not the hair follicles, appeared to be stimu a single epithelial sheath, the external root sheath, lated. However, adjacent skin areas, where tumor a sebaceous gland, and a dermal papilla. The rest invasion had not occurred, did not show epidermal ing hair follicle sheath below the level of the outlet stimulation, even though the tumor beneath the of the sebaceous gland rarely shows mitotic activ skin had reached a considerable size. ity, but the upper part of the hair follicle, from the The situation at 14 and 21 days was essentially level of the sebaceous gland to the epidermal sur the same, except that the tumor was much larger face, has mitotic activity similar to the basal (Table 1), and the number of biopsy specimens layer of the epidermis. It also has the same diurnal showing tumor invasion and epidermal stimulation mitotic rhythm as the epidermis (9-11), and it had increased. In almost all cases tumor invasion responds similarly to the epidermis to a variety of 1T. S. Argyris, unpublished observations. damaging agents.1 Indeed, some suggest that it is 2H. B. Chase, personal communication. Downloaded from cancerres.aacrjournals.org on September 28, 2021. © 1962 American Association for Cancer Research. ARGYRISANDARGYRIS—GrowthPromotionof Skin by Tumor 75 continued to be limited to the subcutis, although damage. To test this possibility the effects of in some cases the tumor had begun to invade the shaving have been studied. dermis (Fig. 3). Shaving produced epidermal enlargement; but, By 28 days the tumor had further increased in in addition, hair follicle stimulation also occurred size (Table 1) and in some cases had resulted in even though histological examination showed that skin ulcération.Marked tumor invasion of the skin shaving had not resulted in any open wounds or was prominent. In many cases the tumor had com damage to the hair follicles. Moreover, the resting pletely invaded the subcutis and dermis and might hair follicles had their club hairs intact as late as reach the epidermal-dermal junction (Fig. 4). In 9 days after shaving. This indicates that dislodge- such cases the epidermal stimulation was usually ment of club hairs, which can be sufficient stimu maximal. The epidermis might contain five to lus for hair growth, had probably not occurred, eight cell layers of enlarged basophilic cells. The since club hairs which have been dislodged usually hair follicles, however, remained completely de fall out within 5-6 days.2 Finally, epidermal en void of mitotic activity even though they might be largement was transient. It began at about 2-3 not only completely surrounded by the tumor but days and was gone by 9 days.