title: High-resolution ultrasound allows percutaneous initiation and surveillance of prostate cancer in an orthotopic murine model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prostate cancer xenografts should prefer orthotopic growth to subcutaneous tumors as the former more closely mimics the natural tumor environment. However, these models are technically demanding and require an invasive laparotomy. To overcome these problems, we evaluated a minimally invasive approach by performing percutaneous prostate puncture under the control of high-resolution ultrasound imaging.
  
  
  METHODS
  Orthotopic tumor cell inoculation was performed in two groups of mice, i.e. in 10 nude mice via ultrasound-guided inoculation and in another 10 nude mice via an open surgical approach. Tumor growth was monitored after 4, 5 and 6 weeks by means of a high-resolution ultrasound system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High-resolution ultrasound allowed exact tumor growth monitoring. After ultrasound-guided inoculation, 8 of 10 animals showed tumor engraftment. The surgical procedure was successful in 9 of 10 animals. Tumor volume was slightly but not significantly greater after surgical tumor induction. Our work demonstrates that tumor cell inoculation via percutaneous puncture of the prostate is feasible, less time-consuming and minimally invasive compared to an open surgical approach. This reduces the animal burden.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the tumor size and the precision of inoculation is lower compared to the open surgical technique, this novel procedure enables real-time prostate punctures, suggesting the feasibility of other procedures including biopsy and local drug applications.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Clinical and Experimental Surgery, University of Saarland, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Körbel
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Jörn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kamradt
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stöckle
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Unteregger
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Menger
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014463:Ultrasonography