Abstract
Purpose:
We have previously demonstrated increased progression of liver metastasis of ocular melanoma in mice deficient for pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF). Since PEDF null mice exhibit obesity and fatty liver, we hypothesized that fatty liver alone could provide an environment conducive for metastatic progression.
Methods:
C57BL/6 mice were placed on a high fat (60% kcal from fat) diet or a control (10%) diet for six weeks. Mice were then injected with B16-LS9 melanoma cells into the posterior compartment of the eye, and followed for one month while maintaining their diets. Afterwards, livers were collected for histological examination.
Results:
Mice on a high fat diet were significantly obese after two weeks. At the end point, their livers contained an increased amount of fatty lipid droplet content. However, the number and size of metastases in both high fat and low fat mice were equivalent.
Conclusions:
Fatty liver alone does not cause an increased number or size of liver metastases in a mouse model of ocular melanoma. Thus the increased metastatic progression seen in PEDF null mice must be due to another PEDF-related phenomenon such as angiogenesis or stromagenesis.
Keywords: 589 melanoma •
637 pathology: experimental