ABSTRACT
Xenografting of neoplasms is a common technique in cancer research. Implantation of non-uniform tumor tissue fragments often yields tumor nodules of irregular size and shape, which is disadvantageous. We therefore developed a device to standardize size and shape of such implants. This instrument is effective, inexpensive to fabricate, and simple to use.
Subject(s)
Neoplasm Transplantation/methods , Animals , Equipment Design , Male , Mice , Mice, Nude , Quality Control , Transplantation, HeterologousABSTRACT
The nude mouse has been used to evaluate the effect of gastrin on xenografted tissues, but little is known about long-term actions of gastrin on native organs in this species. We investigated the impact of chronically administered synthetic pentagastrin on the nude mouse. Six groups of mice (eight animals each) received intraperitoneal injections twice daily for 14 days with saline or pentagastrin at 0.5, 5, 50, 500, or 5,000 micrograms/kg. Behavior, overall health, and body weight were unaffected by this treatment. Of the seven organs examined at necropsy, only the pancreas showed a weight gain in response to pentagastrin treatment, and this occurred only at the highest dose. Total DNA content of the pancreas decreased in a dose-related manner, indicating hypoplasia, whereas pancreatic RNA content increased, indicating hypertrophy. No effect on the stomach was observed. This work indicates that the nude mouse is less sensitive than other species to visceral growth regulation by pentagastrin, and that toxicity is low.
