Glomeruloid blood vessels in ethylnitrosourea-induced rat gliomas. Histological and immunohistochemical studies.

Glomeruloid blood vessels (GBVs), a characteristic histological feature of most human malignant gliomas, were recognized with high incidence in autochthonous rat gliomas induced by transplacental administration of ethylnitrosourea. To evaluate some of the biological properties of these GBVs, we carried out a study using histological methods and immunohistochemical staining for glial fibrillary acidic protein, factor VIII-related antigen (VIII Ag) and bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd). Of 22 animals with large, massively growing gliomas in the CNS, GBVs including conglomerate aggregations of small blood vessels with endothelial hyperplasia and strong VIII Ag expression were observed in 13 large gliomas histologically consisting of primitive neuroepithelial neoplasms (PNN; so called ependymoma) and mixed-type gliomas in combination with astrocytoma and PNN or anaplastic astrocytoma. The anaplastic gliomas in our series were devoid of GBVs. These findings indicate that GBV formation takes place in a histological variety of experimental gliomas. Furthermore, the GBVs were frequently associated with the vasculo-mesenchymal stroma in the parent gliomas, suggesting an intimate relationship with the morphogenesis of GBVs. In addition, it was shown that the GBVs had a higher BrdUrd-labelling index than that of other blood vessels in gliomas and also that of neoplastic cells in most parent gliomas, except for anaplastic gliomas. Based on these results, the possible mechanism of GBV morphogenesis is discussed with regard to the roles of macromolecules in the induction and regulation of GBVs.