Comparison of Allogeneic and Syngeneic Rat Glioma Models by Using MRI and Histopathologic Evaluation.

Research in neurooncology traditionally requires appropriate in vivo animal models, on which therapeutic strategies are tested before human trials are designed and proceed. Several reproducible animal experimental models, in which human physiologic conditions can be mimicked, are available for studying glioblastoma multiforme. In an ideal rat model, the tumor is of glial origin, grows in predictable and reproducible patterns, closely resembles human gliomas histopathologically, and is weakly or nonimmunogenic. In the current study, we used MRI and histopathologic evaluation to compare the most widely used allogeneic rat glioma model, C6-Wistar, with the F98-Fischer syngeneic rat glioma model in terms of percentage tumor growth or regression and growth rate. In vivo MRI demonstrated considerable variation in tumor volume and frequency between the 2 rat models despite the same stereotactic implantation technique. Faster and more reproducible glioma growth occurred in the immunoresponsive environment of the F98-Fischer model, because the immune response is minimized toward syngeneic cells. The marked inability of the C6-Wistar allogeneic system to generate a reproducible model and the episodes of spontaneous tumor regression with this system may have been due to the increased humoral and cellular immune responses after tumor implantation.

A simplified cuff technique for abdominal aortic transplantation in mice.

BACKGROUND: Allograft arteriopathy is still a leading cause of late organ failure. The aortic allograft model in mice has been used to study chronic rejection and has given useful information in the development of graft arteriosclerosis. However, the technical difficulties of small vessel anastomoses still continue to limit its widespread use. We introduce a new simple method for aortic transplantation in mice. METHODS: The descending aorta or infrarenal aorta from the donor mouse was anastomosed to the infrarenal aorta using a cuff technique. Aortic transplantation was performed in 30 mice, 10 isografts and 20 allografts. No immunosuppression was administered, and the recipients were sacrificed at day 28. The grafts were histologically analyzed. RESULTS: Implantation of grafts could be completed in an average of 23 min. There was no technical failure in all 60 anastomoses. The overall survival rate was 93.3%. Histology of aortas revealed typical aspects of chronic rejection in the allografts at day 28. No significant lesion was observed in isografts. CONCLUSIONS: We have developed an innovative, stable, and simple aortic transplantation model in mice, which is useful for vascular research in transplantation and beyond.