Spinal cord tumors induced by N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea in rats: presence of spinal subpial target cells.
The correlation between induction of spinal cord tumor by N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) (CAS: 759-73-9; 1-ethyl-1-nitrosourea) and postnatal cellular differentiation of the spinal cord was examined in 6 different strains of rats [noninbred Wistar and inbred F344, WF, LE, WF (female) X LE (male), and LE (female) X WF (male)]. By perinatal injection of 40 mg ENU/kg, 258 spinal cord tumors were induced in 175 of 372 ENU-treated rats. The spinal cords of rats at ages ranging from day 1 to day 8 after birth were particularly susceptible to the oncogenic effect of ENU. All spinal cord tumors developed in the white matter without any segmental predilection site. Moreover, most (93%) were found in the subpial region of the spinal cord and were classified as oligodendrogliomas. Morphologic and autoradiographic examinations revealed accumulation of spinal subpial immature glial cells from day 1 to day 8 after birth when the spinal cord had a high susceptibility and most of the cells were destined to differentiate into oligodendrocytes. These data show the existence of target cells in the spinal cords of rats after ENU carcinogenesis.
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000187:drug effects; D005038:Ethylnitrosourea / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D009607:Nitrosourea Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013045:Species Specificity; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology*; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology*
D009607:Nitrosourea Compounds; D005038:Ethylnitrosourea