title: Development of a rabbit pleural cancer model by using VX2 tumors.
abstract: Primary and secondary pleural cancer remains an important clinical problem, with research progress limited by the lack of a suitable moderate- to large-sized (3 to 4 kg) animal model of pleural cancer. Many potential pleura-based imaging and treatment modalities cannot be investigated sufficiently by using currently available small murine animal models because their pleural space is not comparable to that of humans and therefore does not allow for the use of standard thoracoscopic techniques. Here we describe the development of a reproducible model of pleural malignancy in moderate-sized immunocompetent rabbits. Under thoracoscopic guidance, 9-15 x 10(6) VX2 carcinoma cells were inoculated into the plural space of 3 to 4 kg New Zealand white rabbits that had undergone gentle pleural abrasion. Malignant tumor involvement developed on the visceral and parietal pleural surfaces in an average of 2 to 4 wk. This novel pleural tumor model induction method likely will facilitate a broad range of investigations of pleural cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.
authors.affiliation: Beckman Laser Institute, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Kelly A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kreuter
authors.forename: Naglaa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: El-Abbadi
authors.forename: Alia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shbeeb
authors.forename: Lillian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: Sari Brenner
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Mahon
authors.forename: Navneet
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Narula
authors.forename: Tanya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Burney
authors.forename: Henri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Colt
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brenner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D011817:Rabbits