Establishing tumor-bearing animal models at different sites of the head and neck and their growing and metastatic characteristics / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:To establish a tumor-bearing animal model of the head and neck is of clinical significance for further studying pathogenesis and transfer mechanisms and for actively finding an effective diagnosis and therapeutic regimen. OBJECTIVE:To compare the growth, lymphatic metastasis and distant metastasis characteristics of head and neck tumors in animals. METHODS:VX2 tumor cel lines were resuscitated and passaged to establish tumor-bearing rabbit models. Under anesthesia, the tumor was stripped from the tumor-bearing site to make tumor cel suspension. Then, thecel suspension was injected into the thigh muscle of rabbits and then passaged 2 weeks later. Tumor samples were harvested from the thigh of passage rabbits to make VX2 tumor cel suspension that was injected into the ear, tongue and nasopharynx of rabbits to make a VX2 tumor model of the head and neck in the rabbit. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The three groups of rabbits had significant differences in spirit, diet, activity and so on. Rabbits with tumor xenograft of the ear were significantly better than those with tumor xenograft of the tongue and nasopharynx. At 2 weeks after injection of VX2 tumor cel suspension, the VX2 tumor models of the head and neck were made successfuly in rabbits, and the tumor formation rate was 100% (15/15) at the ear, 93% (14/15) at the tongue and nasopharynx. VX2 tumors at different sites experienced rapid growth period, central necrosis period, surface ulceration period, and the life cycle was about 4-6 weeks. Lymph node metastasis in head and neck and pulmonary metastasis were found in the al three groups. Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that VX2 tumor tissues and metastatic lymph nodes were confirmed as moderately to poorly differentiated squamous cel carcinoma. These findings indicate that tumor-bearing rabbit models of the head and neck established by VX2 cel suspension are characterized by short modeling cycle, good stability, easy to repeat, high tumor formation rate and simple operation. VX2 tumors in the different sites of the head and neck of rabbits have different characteristics, so we can choose the different implanting sites according to the different research purposes.