Degradation of basement membrane by murine tumor cells.

Tumor cells from the murine T241 fibrosarcoma, which rapidly and reproducibility produces pulmonary metastases, were tested in vitro for their ability to degrade isolated pulmonary basement membrane. Degradation of basement membrane substrate was quantified by the culture of the substrate with tumor cells and measurement of the solubilized hydroxyproline and hexose glycoprotein at neutral pH. It was found that tumor cells collected in the tumor venous drainage were associated with a significantly greater solubilization of basement membrane than were tumor cells obtained from the primary tumor mass. Tumor cells were also assayed for their ability to solubilize type I collagen purified from human dura. Venous effluent tumor cells solubilized collagen to a significantly greater level than primary tumor cells, spleen cells, or liver cells. These findings raised the possibility that metastasizing tumor cells may be a distinct tumor subpopulation with regard to invasive potential.