[Establishment of a whole-body visualization model of breast cancer with high hepatic metastatic potential in nude mice through serial passage in vivo].
OBJECTIVE
To establish a whole-body visualization model of breast cancer with high hepatic metastatic potential in nude mice and observe the development and metastasis of breast cancer by real-time imaging.


METHODS
pEGFP-N1 plasmid was transfected into human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 to obtain pEGFP-MDA-MB-231 cells that emitted fluorescence. pEGFP-MDA-MB-231 cells were inoculated orthotopically in BALB/C nude mice and cultured in vivo through serial passage, thereby establishing the mouse model bearing tumors with high hepatic metastasis potential. The fluorescence emitted from the tumors was quantitatively detected and imaged with a fluorescence stereo microscope for real-time visualization of the tumor growth and metastasis.


RESULTS
The transfected breast cancer cells stably and efficiently expressed EGFP. After inoculation of the transfected cells in nude mice, 20% of the first-generation cells showed hepatic metastasis, and the rate increased to 80% among the second-generation and up to 100% among the third-generation cells. The reliability of this visualization model was validated with conventional pathological methods.


CONCLUSIONS
The whole-body visualization model bearing breast cancer with high hepatic metastasis potential provides a reliable means for studying the mechanisms of hepatic tumor metastasis, and can be instrumental in the exploration of novel means for breast cancer treatment.
Yang
Min
M
Department of Pathology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Tumor Pathology of Guangdong Province, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
Yang
Zhao-Hui
ZH
Hou
Zhi-Dian
ZD
Li
Xue-Nong
XN
D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary*; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins