title: Establishment of a rabbit model of superior vena cava obstruction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore a method of establishing a rabbit model of superior vena cava obstruction (SVCO) by injecting VX2 tumor cell suspension transcutaneously under ultrasound guidance.
  
  
  METHODS
  A suspension of VX2 tumor cells was prepared under sterile conditions. Fifteen adult healthy New Zealand White rabbits were enrolled in the experiment. Under ultrasound guidance, about 0.1 ml of the living tumor cell suspension was transcutaneously injected in front of the anterior wall of the right superior vena cava (SVC). The lumen, wall, blood flow of SVCs and adjacent tissues were examined with gray-scale and color Doppler ultrasonography, every 3 days starting from the 9th day after injection. Meanwhile, CT scanning and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) were also performed. The rabbits were dissected immediately after death and tissue samples were collected for pathologic examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fourteen out of 15 rabbits developed tumors that were located close to SVCs and/or SVCs cavity, which was shown by ultrasonography. The diameters of the tumors were 80.7 +/- 4.3 mm. These tumors grew close to SVCs area and resulted in compression and infiltration of SVCs. CT scanning and DSA confirmed the establishment of the SVCO model. The achievement rate of the SVCO model was 93.3%. No rabbit died of complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A method of establishing a rabbit SVCO model by injecting VX2 tumor cell suspension under ultrasonographic guidance was established successfully, and it proved to be simple, effective and repeatable. The imaging characteristics of this model are in good accordance with those of SVCO in patients.
authors: Department of Ultrasound Diagnostics, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
authors: Fa Qin
authors: FQ
authors: Lv
authors: Yun You
authors: YY
authors: Duan
authors: Xi
authors: X
authors: Liu
authors: Tie Sheng
authors: TS
authors: Cao
authors: Wen
authors: W
authors: Wang
authors: Li Jun
authors: LJ
authors: Yuan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D011817:Rabbits; D013479:Superior Vena Cava Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D013899:Thoracic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color