This study investigated microcirculatory-blood-flow responses in nude mice following the injection of CT26 tumor cells by analyzing the frequency content of skin blood-flow signals recorded on the skin surface. CT26 cells were injected subcutaneously (10^4/100 μl) into the right back flank of each 7-week-old mouse. Three-minute laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) signals were measured in 60 nude mice. The data sequences were obtained at 1, 2, and 3 weeks after injecting CT26 cells. Mouse tissue samples were cut into sections and examined microscopically to determine the condition of cancer metastasis. Spectral analysis performed after 1 week revealed a significant decrease in the relative energy contribution of the endothelium-related frequency band, and significant increases in those of the myogenic and respiration-related frequency bands of the LDF signals in the metastasis group (n=12). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating the feasibility of evaluating metastasis in animal subjects based on changes in noninvasively measured LDF parameters. Changes in the LDF spectral indexes can be attributed to differences in the microcirculatory regulatory activities. The present measurements performed on the skin surface provide a noninvasive and real-time method for evaluating the microcirculatory responses induced by implanting CT26 tumor cells.
Keywords: CT26; Tumor; laser Doppler; spectral analysis.