Local blood flow in Walker 256 metastatic brain tumors.

Local blood flow (F) in metastatic Walker 256 (WL-256) brain tumors produced by the intracarotid artery injection of WL-256 tumor cells in rats was measured using 14C-iodoantipyrine and quantitative autoradiography. Blood flow was variable in the tumors; the overall range was 2 to 222 ml hg-1 min-1 and the maximum range in an individual tumor extended over 150 ml hg-1 min-1. Small tumors had mean blood flows similar to surrounding brain. Medium to large tumors had significantly lower flows; the lowest values were usually measured in necrotic or cystic regions, although low values (less than 20 ml hg-1) were also measured in some viable-appearing tumor regions. Blood flow was significantly reduced in brain adjacent to medium and large but not small tumors. A global depression of brain and tumor blood flow was measured in two animals with hydrocephalus and the largest tumor burden. The blood flow patterns of the WL-256 metastatic tumor model are not uniquely different from other brain tumor models although some individual differences exist.