The suitability of immunosuppressed mice kept in a standard animal unit as recipients of human tumour xenografts.
CBA/Lac mice were immunosuppressed by thymectomy and whole body irradiation with 250 kVp X-rays following pretreatment with cytosine arabinoside. The optimum radiation dose for immunosuppression with prolonged survival was 7.35 Gy. The animals were kept in a standard animal unit with an overall survival rate of 83%. They were found to be suitable for large scale, long-term, xenotransplantation experiments at 20% of the cost of nude mice.
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA / Q000276:immunology*; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D013934:Thymectomy; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation