[Establishment of a mouse forestomach carcinoma cell line (MFC) with spontaneous hematogenous metastasis and preliminary study of its biological characteristics].

A mouse forestomach carcinoma cell line (MFC) prone to blood-born metastasis to lung was established in vitro. This cell line has been subcultured for more than 132 passages. MFC cells lacked in contact inhibition and, morphologically, appeared as round, polygonal and spindle cells. Ultrastructurally, there were abundant microvilli on the cellular surface and extensive filopodia in the cytoplasm; nuclei showed irregular shape with an increased nucleus-cytoplasm ratio; desmosomes, hemidesmosomes as well as a small number of tonofibrils were observed. The doubling time of MFC cell population was 24.7 hours. The average mitotic index was 32.9% and the maximum was 62% with 70-76 mode. The homotransplant efficiency was 100% (11/11). In morphology, the solid tumors induced were similar to FC tumor, from which the MFC cell line was derived and 81.8% (9/11) developed spontaneous lung metastasis. It is indicated that this cell line still retains the primary tumor's feature of spontaneous hematogenous metastasis. MFC cell line might be very useful in experimental treatment, study of tumor metastatic mechanism and isolating subpopulation.