Conclusion
Significant heterogeneity is present in these models of brain metastases from HER2+ breast cancer. Understanding this heterogeneity, especially as it relates to BBB permeability, is important for improvement in brain metastasis detection and treatment delivery.
Results
There were differences in metastatic tumor appearance by MRI, histology, and immunohistochemistry (Ki67, CD31, CD105) across the three models. The mean volume of an MDA-MB-231-BR-HER2 tumor was significantly larger compared to other models (F2,12 = 5.845, P < .05); interestingly, this model also had a significantly higher proportion of Gd-impermeable tumors (F2,12 = 22.18, P < .0001). Ki67 staining indicated that Gd-impermeable tumors had significantly more proliferative nuclei compared to Gd-permeable tumors (t[24] = 2.389, P < .05) in the MDA-MB-231-BR-HER2 model. CD31 and CD105 staining suggested no difference in new vasculature patterns between permeable and impermeable tumors in any model.