Glycosylation patterns of the human colon cancer cell line HT-29 detected by Helix pomatia agglutinin and other lectins in culture, in primary tumours and in metastases in SCID mice

Human colonic cancer cells (HT-29, 10(7) cells/dose) were injected subcutaneously between the scapulae of 19 severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. After 19 days, large tumours had developed in 18 out of the 19 animals and the mice were then killed. Metastases were detected in the lungs of 16 animals but not in other organs investigated. Surgical removal of the primary tumour in another group of five animals led to a prolonged survival and further growth of metastases in the lungs. HT-29 injection into the tail vein (n = 5) resulted in colonization of the lungs. The tumours that developed in the animals were signet cell carcinomas; these forms are not seen in HT-29 cells in culture. Glycoconjugate expression of the tumours was assessed using several lectins. In many cases the results indicated a stability of lectin-binding patterns from cell culture conditions to implantation into the SCID mice. This was true for the lectin Helix pomatia agglutinin (HPA), the binding of which is associated with a high metastatic potential in some human tumours, including colon cancer. All the primary tumours and metastases were HPA positive. This xenograft tumour model seems to be a clinically relevant system for the study of glycoconjugate expression in human colon cancer cells and their metastases.