Characterization of a fibroblastoid mammary carcinoma cell line (LM2) originated from a mouse adenocarcinoma

• Published in: International journal of oncology Vol. 17; no. 6; p. 1259
• Main Authors: Galli, S, Colombo, L, Vanzuli, S, Daroqui, M C, del Carmen Vidal, M, Jasnis, M A, Sacerdote de Lustig, E, Eijan, A M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Greece 01-12-2000
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma - chemistry; Adenocarcinoma - pathology; Adenocarcinoma - secondary; Aneuploidy; Animals; Female; Fibroblasts - pathology; Lung Neoplasms - secondary; Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental - chemistry; Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental - pathology; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Microscopy, Electron; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neoplasm Proteins - analysis; Neoplasm Transplantation; Nitric Oxide - pharmacology; Tumor Cells, Cultured - chemistry; Tumor Cells, Cultured - drug effects; Tumor Cells, Cultured - ultrastructure; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator - analysis
• DOI: 10.3892/ijo.17.6.1259
• ISSN: 1019-6439

We established and characterized a new mammary tumor cell line, LM2, derived from M2 mammary adenocarcinoma which spontaneously appeared in a BALB/c female mouse. The LM2 cell line has been maintained in culture for more than 40 passages and grows as poorly differentiated elongated cells. Ultrastructural and immunocytochemistry analysis revealed characteristic features of adenocarcinoma. Cytogenetic studies showed that LM2 cells are fundamentally hypotetraploid. They express metalloproteinases (MMP) and show high levels of plasminogen activator type urokinase (uPA). They were sensitive to nitric oxide (NO)-mediated cytotoxicity when NO derived from an exogenous donor. In vivo, although LM2 cells were able to grow in the lungs, they could not metastasize to the same target organ from s.c. primary tumors. The LM2 mouse mammary adenocarcinoma cell line is a suitable model to examine different aspects of tumor biology, in particular those related to the different pathways involved in the metastatic cascade and in the cytotoxicity mediated by NO.