Filtrability and flow characteristics of leukemic and non-leukemic tumor cell suspension through polycarbonate filters in relation to hematogenous spread of cancer.

Tumor cell suspension was filtered through Nuclepore filters of various pore diameters (5.4, 7.9 and 9.3 micron) with positive pressure from 5 to 60 cmH2O at 37 degrees C. The mean diameters of tumor cells of 6 strains ranged from 10.6 to 13.6 micron. Cell suspension of each tumor strain was filtered with characteristically different time. No significant difference was observed among tumor strains in the percentage of cells filtered. The cell viability was almost unchanged by filtration. The filtration time was considered to indicate the passing ability of tumor cells through capillary pores. Leukemic cells such as DBLA 1, DBLA 6 and L 1210 were relatively small in diameter and possessed a high passing ability compared with other non-leukemic tumor cells such as Yoshida sacroma, AH 109A and AH 100B. The relationship between pressure and flow rate of the cell-free solution was linear, while the pressure-flow rate curves of the tumor cell suspension were convexed to the pressure-axis at low pressure and became linear over the pressure of the yield point. Rheologically, the yield point and the reciprocal of the slope indicate structural viscosity and apparent viscosity of the cell suspension, respectively, they are considered to reflect the rheological properties of tumor cells. Comparing these parameters of the curves in filters of different pore diameters, the viscosity of leukemic cells appeared to be the lowest and the structural viscosity of AH 100B cells was the highest among the tumor strains examined. The distribution and frequency of metastases following intravenous transplantation of these tumor cells suggested that the passing ability of tumor cells plays an important role in organ preference of hematogenous metastasis and leukemic state in leukemia.