Evaluation of the enhanced permeability and retention effect in the early stages of lymph node metastasis

Most solid cancers spread to new sites via the lymphatics before hematogenous dissemination. However, only a small fraction of an intravenously administered anti-cancer drug enters the lymphatic system to reach metastatic lymph nodes (LN). Here, we show that the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect is not induced during the early stages of LN metastasis. Luciferase-expressing tumor cells were injected into the subiliac LN of the MXH10/Mo-lpr/lpr mouse to induce metastasis to the proper axillary LN (PALN). In vivo biofluorescence imaging was used to confirm metastasis induction and to quantify the EPR effect, measured as PALN accumulation of intravenously injected indocyanine green (ICG) liposomes. PALN blood vessel volume changes were measured by contrast-enhanced high-frequency ultrasound imaging. The volume and density of blood vessels in the PALN increased until day 29 after inoculation, whereas the LN volume remained constant. ICG retention was first detected on day 29 post-inoculation. While CD31-positive cells increased up to day 29 post-inoculation, α-smooth muscle actin-positive cells were detected on day 29 post-inoculation for the first time. These results suggest that the EPR effect was not induced in the early stages of LN metastasis; therefore, systemic chemotherapy would likely not be beneficial during the early stages of LN metastasis. The development of an alternative drug delivery system, independent of the EPR effect, is required for the treatment of LN metastasis.