Establishment of a rabbit model bearing transplanted endometrial carcinoma and magnetic resonance imaging features of the metastatic lymph nodes / 南方医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a rabbit model bearing endometrial carcinoma and observe the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of the metastatic lymph nodes.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>VX(2) tumor grafts were orthotopically embedded into the endometrium of the rabbits. Three weeks after the implantation, the tumor and the metastatic retroperitoneal lymph nodes were examined with MRI, and the signal intensities and the size of the lymph nodes were compared with those in normal rabbits.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Orthotopic tumor growth was observed in all the rabbits. Tumor infiltration of the serosa and retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis occurred 3 weeks after tumor implantation. MRI demonstrated obviously lymph node enlargement in the tumor-bearing rabbits as compared with those of normal rabbits, while the signal intensity of the lymph nodes were comparable between them.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The endometrial carcinoma in this rabbit model well simulate the metastatic behavior of human endometrial carcinoma, and may serve as a good model for testing the efficacy of the contrast agents for MRI of the lymph nodes.</p>