Kinetics of angiogenic changes in a new mouse model for hepatocellular carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
The increasing incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in Western countries has led to an expanding interest of scientific research in this field. Therefore, a vast need of experimental models that mimic the natural pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a short time period is present. The goal of our study was (1) to develop an efficient mouse model for HCC research, in which tumours develop in a natural background of fibrosis and (2) to assess the time-dependent angiogenic changes in the pathogenesis of HCC.


METHODS
Weekly intraperitoneal injections with the hepatocarcinogenic compound N-nitrosodiethylamine was applied as induction method and samples were taken at several time points to assess the angiogenic changes during the progression of HCC.


RESULTS
The N-nitrosodiethylamine-induced mouse model provides well vascularised orthotopic tumours after 25 weeks. It is a representative model for human HCC and can serve as an excellent platform for the development of new therapeutic targets.
Heindryckx
Femke
F
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
Mertens
Koen
K
Charette
Nicolas
N
Vandeghinste
Bert
B
Casteleyn
Christophe
C
Van Steenkiste
Christophe
C
Slaets
Dominique
D
Libbrecht
Louis
L
Staelens
Steven
S
Starkel
Peter
P
Geerts
Anja
A
Colle
Isabelle
I
Van Vlierberghe
Hans
H
D000818:Animals; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000633:toxicity; D004052:Diethylnitrosamine / Q000633:toxicity; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008114:Liver Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000139:chemically induced; D051379:Mice; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic
D002273:Carcinogens; D004052:Diethylnitrosamine