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Neovascularization occurred in the iris of the rabbit eye at a distance from intraocular tumors implanted in the cornea, the anterior chamber, and the opposite leaf of the iris. Neovascularization was documented by: 1) slit-lamp stereomicroscopic observations of the iris vasculature in vivo, 2) histologic sections showing increased small-vessel density and endothelial mitoses, 3) autoradiographic studies showing incorporation of 3H-thymidine in endothelial cells, and 4) a distinctive topographic pattern of small-vessel growth in glycerin-cleared, flat-embedded preparations in which the entire microvascular tree of the iris was outlined with colloidal carbon. These observations indicated that cytoplasmic contact between tumor cell and responding vascular bed was not essential for tumor-induced angiogenesis in vivo. Neovascularization in this setting appeared to be mediated either directly by a humoral factor from viable tumor cells or through intermediary interaction with host tissues. Further, these studies experimentally correlated the clinical association of iris neovascularization with remote intraocular tumors.
Gimbrone et al. (1973) studied this question.