Differential adhesion of tumor cells to capillary endothelial cells in vitro.

Adhesion studies were carried out to determine the relative ability of glioma cells and ovary-derived teratoma cells to adhere to endothelial cells obtained from mouse brain capillaries (designated MBE cell line) or mouse ovaries (designated MOE cell line). The teratoma cells showed preferential adhesion to MOE cells, whereas the glioma cells showed preferential adhesion to the MBE cell line. In contrast, the glioma and teratoma cells adhered equally to L929 and 3T3 fibroblasts. A testicular teratoma with ovary-seeking properties in vivo also adhered preferentially to MOE cells, while the preference for MBE cells was shared by glioma cells with an endothelioma and a bladder tumor line. The endothelioma, interestingly, showed a marked preferential adhesion to 3T3 cells, thus distinguishing it from the glioma. The experiments demonstrate that capillary endothelial cells derived from different sources are not alike and that differences expressed at the cell surface of these cells can be distinguished by tumor cells.