Comparison of Mammary Gland Growth and Some Physiological Parameters in a High Mammary Tumor Strain of SHN Mice and ICR, Most Popular and ‘Normal’ Mice

Abstract

As a possible step in examining the difference between pathological models and most popular and ‘normal’ models, the mammary gland and some parameters were compared in SHN mice, a high mammary tumor strain, and ICR mice. SHN was lower than ICR in almost all urinary component levels as indicators of general metabolic activity in both the female and the male, and glucose tolerance in the female. Body weight and several organ weights including liver and kidneys were lower in SHN than in ICR. Normal and preneoplastic mammary gland growth and TGFα mRNA expression in the glands of the female were much higher in SHN than in ICR. These findings stress the importance of having a right knowledge of the parameters of ‘normal’ animals, especially for researchers using pathological models.